Her Riddle His Future
by xXfireXflyXx
Summary: Tom/OC ; Elodie fancies bold Tom Riddle, the apple of her eye... and he knows it. All the better to take advantage of her!
1. Importance

I was _extremely _annoyed to see that someone had copied this story and already published it on fanfiction. It's been taken down, and I'm putting it up... Mostly so no one will try to claim it as their own again.

I hope you enjoy! It's an older story of mine... Written just after the 6th book, when I didn't really understand what a horcrux was and how it is used... for references to later chapters. But I 3 Tom, so there you go.

* * *

Elodie watched him from behind her book in the library nearly every single day of her life.

Tom Riddle would come in, followed by his usual group of 'friends', sit down, and work on his homework, nibbling on the end of his quill every so often. His friends, her housemates, would talk thunderously, until Madame Truvat, the librarian, threatened to dock points from Slytherin. Tom would merely glance up, smile his charming smile, and go back to reading, probably not listening as his group grumbled under their breath about the old woman.  
No one paid Elodie any attention. She was the small, mousy seventh year, _Mudblood_ Slytherin; the joke of her house. Salazar would turn in his grave, had he known she was apart of his house.

Elodie was incredibly smart, and wished the Sorting Hat had placed her in Ravenclaw, where she no doubt belonged. Her messy brown hair and wide hazel eyes did not fit in amongst the sea of pale blondes and redheads in her Slytherin house. Only she and Tom had brown hair in her year, which was a little startling when she first noticed.

But somehow, she felt that brought her even closer to him.

The library door burst open, and Adrian Malfoy held it for Tom, smirking slightly as Tom strode in, sauntering to his usual table. Elodie was close, but not too close. She could _just_ watch him without being noticed.

"Did you see Slughorn tell off those pathetic Gryffindors?" Julian Nott inquired, snorting loudly as he threw his book bag onto the table, "I thought Weasley was going to burst into tears."  
"Weasley..." Adrian spat, rolling his eyes and sneering, "Is a horrible excuse for a Pureblood... Did you see the filth he hangs around with?"

A gaggle of girls following the three boys instantly began agreeing, bashing all the Gryffindor names they knew. Elodie smirked; none of the girls actually knew who they were talking about, they were just prattling off names.  
She placed her book up in front of her, _Potente Potions_, and opened a page on brewing sleeping draughts. Gingerly, she glanced up from the book, watching Tom.  
He was leaning back on the two legs of his chair, casually resting a small book on his lap, his hands knotted behind his head. Elodie wondered how he could keep his balance and not go crashing to the floor, as she usually did when she leaned back in her chair.

"Tom," one of the girls whispered, "That Mudblood is watching you."  
"She's probably just wondering what it's like to have friends," another sneered, shooting Elodie a glare. Tom's eyes wandered over in her direction, and she hastily looked away, then began packing up her things at lightning speed.  
If she moved fast enough, she'd be back in her dorm room sooner, and she could lay down and pretend her was smiling at her, instead of just looking.  
She nearly tripped over her own feet hurrying through the long bookshelves in the dimly lit library that evening, and she heard the girls shriek loudly when she bumped into one of the trolleys that had been left out.  
Tears pricked her eyes at the pain in her knee, which had slammed into the metal trolley, but also from the sheer humiliation of it all.  
She only slowed down when she was out in the hallway, inhaling the cool air deeply. It was a fall evening, and with all the windows open, the air was always crisp as it circulated through the castle.

"Hey!" a baritone voice sounded from behind, and Elodie looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening; Tom!  
Oh, he was so handsome. Dark brown hair that curled ever so slightly, and eyes that she could stare into forever...  
"He isn't talking to you," Elodie reminded herself quickly, turning away and continuing down the hall, "Why would _he_ talk to _you_?"  
"Wait!" he called, his footsteps vibrating, it seemed, off the cold walls in the empty hall. Elodie stopped again, then felt stupid, and hurried on.  
A hand suddenly grasped her shoulders, rather roughly, and turned her around, causing her to drop her books in shock. Her eyes immediately fell away from the handsome ones of Tom Riddle, and she dropped to her knees, ready to mutter an apology.

"I'm sorry."

To her surprise, it was Tom who had said it, and he knelt down, beating her to the last book, then standing, reading the back of it with mild interest.  
"I didn't mean to scare you," he admitted finally, handing her the third of the three books she had been clutching. She swallowed; she had to find her voice! She had one, somewhere...  
"It's fine," she murmured after a moment of silence, "I-I... frighten easily."  
She groaned inwardly, noting she must have sounded so foolish, and turned to leave.  
"It's rude to leave when people are talking to you," he said bluntly, folding his arms and grinning, "What's the matter? Don't you want to talk to me?"  
How desperately she just wanted to shout out her longing desire to have just one conversation with him. Instead, she bit her lip slightly and shrugged, "I... I..."  
"Why did you leave the library?" Tom asked, suddenly changing the subject. Elodie swallowed thickly and began to shift her weight from foot to foot, "I... I just didn't think the other girls wanted me there."  
"It's the school library," he chuckled, "Who made them queens?"  
His voice was so... hypnotizing. She found herself lost in a symphony of delicate tones, and she had no intention of making her way back out.  
"You aren't much of a talker, are you?" he laughed as she continued to stare up at him. Finally, she shook her head, "I'm just... tired."

"Care for an escort back to the Common Room then?" he inquired, holding out his arm in an almost chivalries manor. Elodie nearly dropped her books all over again, and she forced a weak, timid smile, "Why would you want to walk me back?"  
"I assume we're in the same house," he stated, nodding to the Slytherin badge on her cloak, "And I want to go back, you want to go back... I think it's the only gentleman thing to do."  
"Oh."

She moved her books around in her hands, trying to make it so that one hand could hold them all, and she suddenly froze as he reached down and smoothed her hair off her face, tucking half of it behind her ears.  
She always wore her hair down. Less people would look at her if they couldn't see her face.

"Sorry," he mused, "You usually have your hair in front ... I've never gotten a real look at you."  
Her cheeks burned and she wished the halls weren't so well lit. Tom smirked and grabbed her hand, weaving it around her arm, then began walking towards the Slytherin Common Room. Elodie wished her feet would co-operate with what her brain was telling them to do, since she was having a rather difficult time moving.  
"You're smart, aren't you?" Tom questioned as the pair began their descent to the lower level of the castle. She shrugged, "Not really."  
"Don't lie," he hissed, causing her to flinch at his sudden sharp tone. He cleared his throat, and his charming disposition returned, "I mean... I helped Dumbledore do some correcting... You had the highest marks in our year."  
"Yes, but Transfiguration isn't really that hard," she said quickly. Tom frowned, "Why are you trying to hide your intelligence?"  
Because people laugh. People poke fun at her. _That_ was why.  
"I... I don't know," she replied softly, "Most people don't like me being smart."  
"Most people are idiots," he snapped, rolling his eyes. The pair stopped at the large snake mural in the wall, and Tom whispered the password. The snake's eyes glowed a dim purple, and after a moment, a hole in the wall appeared, granting them both access to the Slytherin Common Room.

A few students stopped talking when they noticed Elodie hanging off of Tom Riddle's arm, and she quickly tried to detangle herself from him. She didn't need any more horrible jabs that day, and at the moment, she just wanted to get up to her room.  
Tom, however, placed his free hand on hers whilst it struggled to get away, and sent the rest of the students a vile look. They instantly turned back to what they were doing, some talking a little louder then usual.

"Contrary to what you may think," Tom murmured, leading Elodie to the staircase of the girls dormitories, "I am _not_ an idiot, and I'd prefer your intelligence out in the open."  
"I don't think you're an idiot," she mumbled, her cheeks flaming red again. He grinned and removed her hand from his arm, then drew it up to his lips, giving it a brief peck, "I'm pleased to hear."  
She worried her complexion would change to red forever, and she squeaked a quick good night before rushing past him and up to her dorm.  
That night, her dreams were filled with Tom.

* * *

Tom watched her hurry up the stairs, and waited until her heard her door shut softly.  
His housemates watched with peculiar curiosity, and he glared back at them, "And what, exactly, is so damn interesting about me?!"

Once again they turned back to what they had been doing, their voices raised, as if they were trying to pretend nothing had ever happened.  
Fine. Let them pretend. Tom knew.  
With one final sneer, he made his way to his own private dormitory, one reserved for the Head Boy. He had chosen for it to be in the Slytherin Common Room for several purposes.

For loyalty to his house.  
To remain intact with Salazar's legacy.  
And for her.

She was just a common Mudblood, Tom knew, but she was an important Mudblood. Prized by all her teachers, yet shunned by all her peers; she was perfect.  
And by Gods did she ever fancy him. He knew she watched him, and she had been watching him for nearly seven years. Only when he caught a look at her grades did he realize this could be quite the advantage. Not only for the present, but for his future.  
But tonight was only the beginning for dear little Elodie. Soon, she would be in so much more, but Tom knew she could handle it. He would make her.


	2. She

Perhaps it had all just been a dream? Yes. A wonderful, beautiful dream, something that would never happen, ever.

Elodie rose earlier then the rest of the girls in her room. They would normally sleep in until about ten or so minutes before breakfast would start, and then nearly claw each other to death to get to the two good showers in the Slytherin bathroom.

As usual, Elodie made her routine quick. Her shower, no longer then seven minutes, was finished in record time. Time spent in front of the mirror was limited; she did not like what looked back at her. Her nose was small, her lips were a pale pink, and her eyes seemed to light to be brown at times, yet not quite hazel; they did not go well with her hair.

Her genes were cruel, giving her such clashing looks, but she made do.

Tom had pushed her hair to the side the night before, so, for once, Elodie pulled it back into a high ponytail, pulling out a few strands around her head. The final effect gave a certain sloppy look, but it did show off her face a bit more then usual.

She gathered up her bed clothes and pulled a stray strand of hair off her pleated skirt, then hurried back into the dorm room, stuffing her night things under her pillow.  
"Oh Mudblood," Denise, a pudgy blonde, cooed as she ran a hand through her bed-hair, "Where are you going in such a rush? We want to hear the gossip from the source!"  
"W-What gossip?" Elodie whimpered, still in shock that she was actually being _spoken_ to by a classmate. Another Slytherin girl sat up on her bed, a grin on her face, "We saw you come in with Tom last night... Why was he with filth like you?"  
Elodie's heart dropped; she was filth, "I... I don't know. He just walked me back f-from the library."

She wished she wouldn't stutter. It had been happening since she was a young girl, and her parents had taken her to speech coaches over the years, but eventually just gave up. They hoped she could find a spell to make it go away.  
"Tom never talks to _anyone_ unless they are important," Denise sneered, "And are _you_ important?"  
"No," Elodie sighed, her eyes dropping to the floor. Denise smirked, "Glad you realize it... Now get out... I want to sleep some more."  
She didn't need to be told twice. Elodie picked up her book bag swiftly and made for the door, shutting it as loudly as she could, just to spite them.

She sighed; they would be extra cruel to her today.

No one was in the Common Room as she nearly ran through it. The portraits were still asleep, and one barked at her to still her clacking heels against the stone floor. She whispered an apology before slipping out the door, moving along the corridors at a steady speed.  
There were a few students in the halls, most heading towards the library, possibly to work on homework for that day. Others were meeting up with their friends and making their way toward the Great Hall, as she was.

Sometimes she wanted to just walk with someone. They didn't have to talk about anything, but there was a sad little girl in her aching for company.  
She rounded a corner, too immersed in her own thoughts to watch where she was going, and walked directly into Professor Dumbledore.

"Careful, poppet," he chuckled, catching her wrist as she stumbled back. Her cheeks tinted and he grinned, "I too find it difficult to watch where I am going so early in the morning."  
"I'm sorry, Professor," she stammered, "I guess I'll have to watch where I'm walking."  
"No harm done," he said gently, "Perhaps I could walk you to the Great Hall... I've forgotten what I needed from office. Funny how things slip your mind when you are hungry."  
Elodie looked into his eyes, shimmering with utter contentment, and she longed to accept his offer. However, her Slytherins hated Dumbledore...  
"Oh, that's right," he clucked, still smiling, "Wouldn't want to let the others know we're friends. Just between us then."

He patted his nose twice with the end of a thin, long finger, then swept off, humming a soft tune under his breath. Elodie stayed standing still, just for a moment, and looked around, hoping no one in her house had seen her talking to Dumbledore. Her Transfigurations teacher was so wonderfully smart, and actually interesting to talk to, but because of her house, their conversations were limited. She was thankful he understood that.  
The Great Hall was slowly filling up as she entered. There were several people from her house there already, but as usual, she took her seat at the end of the table, closest to the door. Atleast that way she could slip away whenever she finished her meals, and she wouldn't need to walk past the whispering girls in her year.  
Elodie helped herself to some cooked potato bits, then a boiled egg, and began cracking away at the shell.

"Good morning," a husky voice whispered in her ear. She jumped, and her knife clattered down onto her plate loudly when she dropped it. Whipping back, her eyes widened when she saw Tom standing behind her, his hands nestled in his pockets as he smiled, "My, you do frighten easily."  
She smiled weakly and nodded, "I w-warned you."  
Cursing her stuttering, she instantly felt stupid. Tom, however, didn't seem to notice, and he glanced down at the rest of her house, all sitting miles away it seemed. He frowned, "Why is it that you never actually eat with us?"  
Ashamed, Elodie turned back and pocked her potato gingerly with her fork, "I s-suppose they wouldn't want me sitting by them... May get Mudblood germs on their food."  
To her surprise, he wiped his hand down her arm and pulled his hand away, looking at it dramatically, "What do you know... I don't see anything. I suppose those types of germs don't spread."

Elodie didn't know whether to take that as an insult, or a compliment, or neither, but she still smiled as Tom slid onto the bench beside her, helping himself to some bacon and eggs. They sat in silence, and Elodie cast a few looks his way every so often. He just seemed so content to sit with her, not saying anything at all. With a smile, she dug into her meal and Tom reached for the stack of newspapers sitting near them, retrieving one and pulling it back, placing it between the pair.  
Every morning, stacks of the Daily Prophet were delivered, orders of Headmaster Dippet, and Elodie enjoyed the fact that she could read the happenings in the wizarding world during her meals.

"Oh dear," he mused, his eyes dancing with amusement, "It seems more people were killed in a raid last night... Pity."  
His voice did not sound like he cared at all. It portrayed the exact opposite, but Elodie was too entranced by his company that all she could do was agree.  
"Tom?" Denise cooed, her and her clan suddenly behind them, "We're here now... You don't need to sit with _her_."  
"I want to sit with her," Tom snapped, brushing her hand off his shoulder, "And you may either sit here, or leave. I'm trying to read the paper."  
Denise sent him a look of hurt, then glared at Elodie before ordering her group to follow her down the table. Elodie groaned, "I wish you had just gone with them."  
Both seemed shocked at her words, and her cheeks flushed as he slowly looked up at her, "Well, they're going to say I have you under a spell or something... And that will be the only reason you'd sit with me!"

Tom laughed loudly and went back to reading the paper, "They'd be rather stupid then, wouldn't they? Do you think I'd let anyone hex me?"  
Elodie paused, "I... I suppose not."  
"Exactly," he chuckled, shooting the girls a look down the table, "I'm sure they'll live without me for a little while."  
"A little while?" she repeated before she could stop herself. Tom merely smiled and went on with reading the paper, remaining in silence.  
Once she had finished eating, she rose, as usual, and gathered up her things. Tom pushed his plate away and picked up his book bag, heaving it over his shoulder and smirking, "Shall we? The Divination tower is a long way."  
"What?"  
"The Div-in-ation tower," he repeated, sounding each syllable loudly, "We have that class together."

Oh, Elodie knew. They had every other class together. It really made her day when she discovered it.

But now, as she followed Tom through the hall, she felt queasy. A normal day of Tom watching did not consist of her talking to him, and she had no idea what to say. She knew everything about him; Head Boy, Slytherin Chaser, highest marks in his year...  
He stopped suddenly, causing her to walk into him. Quickly, he turned around and caught her gaze, holding her eyes with his, "Why do you walk behind me?"  
"I don't know," she answered automatically, waiting for a blush that never came to stain her cheeks. Tom continued to stare, "Do I frighten you?"  
"No," she admitted truthfully. He smirked and the eye contact was finally broken as he reached down and caught her hand, "Then walk _with_ me."

The forcefulness in his tone nearly made her knees buckle, and she tried her best to walk beside him, instead of behind him. It was difficult to keep up with him, since his long legs moved so much faster then hers, and when he finally noticed she was jogging slowly to keep up, he slowed.

His hand was warm and soft against hers. She feared her hand would grow sweaty out of sheer nerves, but she felt nothing, and tried not to give anything away about how nervous she really was. She had fantasized this moment, but never really thought of having it in real life.

"Do you like Divination?" he asked suddenly as they neared the ladder to get to the class. Elodie shrugged, "I suppose. It just doesn't seem very p-practical."  
"I completely agree," he murmured, "Want to skip?"  
Elodie's jaw dropped a little, "Skip? But we'll get in trouble-"  
"Not if we aren't caught," he chuckled, pulling her away from the ladder and back down the hall, much to her discontent. Never once, in all her seven years at Hogwarts, had she missed a lesson. They were important...  
Well, Divination was a bit of a pointless class, since no one seemed to possess the Inner Eye that her professor boasted.  
"And I thought he'd gone mad-"

Adrian Malfoy and Julian Nott's voices sounded loudly from the end of the hall, and Tom suddenly pulled her behind a statue, holding a hand over her mouth.  
Of course he wouldn't want to be seen with her. Perhaps he was having second thoughts altogether! Elodie, however, was lost in his touch, as she was firmly wedged between his body and the statue.  
"Isn't Riddle supposed to be with us?" Julian inquired as the pair strode leisurely past the statue, pausing.  
"I saw him at breakfast, sitting with that Mudblood."  
"Wonder what she did to him..."  
Elodie whimpered as Tom's hand tightened around her face, his nails digging into her skin.  
"Maybe he was just there for the Prophet."  
"Why? We had one down at our end..."  
"I don't assume to know what Tom does! Come on... Maybe he's in class."  
"Idiots," Tom breathed, his hand still gripping Elodie's face tightly. Her hands crept up, gingerly trying to loosen his hold.

"Sorry," he murmured, instantly releasing her jaw. She massaged it, trying to get some feeling back into it, wincing when her fingers grazed the nail marks.  
But none of that mattered... Tom Riddle had touched her! She couldn't help but smile, even at the situation she found herself in, pressed between a stone statue and Tom's body.  
"S'alright," she squeaked, her stomach turning as Tom gently urged her out from behind the statue, his hands holding her hips firmly.  
Maybe her face had just turned red and _stayed_ red, since she no longer felt her cheeks turning from normal to coloured every time Tom looked at her.

It was a start!

*-

Tom looked down at the girl and smirked. Finally she had stopped blushing. It was almost becoming difficult to keep from laughing whenever it happened. Not a cruel laugh, he mused, one of genuine amusement.

"Come on," he urged, grabbing her small hand again and pulling her down the hall, "We have the first sunny day of the month... I really don't think we should waste it sitting around in some stuffy room."

He was moving with her quickly, but he needed to. He needed to make her his faster then normal if his plan was to work.

_Not too old, Tom, not too old._

The damn voice in his head reminded him of his haste, and he had learned to block it out, from time to time.  
But this girl was different then the rest in his house. Like proper ladies, most were virgins, but would most likely be spoiled by Christmas. Elodie was not like them, she was shy modest. Tom could tell what was beneath those robes.  
Rather bulky robes, when Tom took the time to notice. The skirt was a little past her knees, her shirt was too big, and her cloak seemed to swallow her.  
Aha, her hair was pulled up today. Perhaps he had more of an effect on her then he thought.

_Ever the charmer, Tom, ever the charmer._

He was indeed a charmer, and would not let her forget.  
"Didn't I ask you to walk with me?" he asked lightly, and she hurried up to his side, their hands still clasped together.  
She didn't say anything until they were completely outside. Many students stopped to gawk as they passed, and while Elodie shied away from it all, Tom merely raised an eyebrow and they scuttled off, whispering and spreading rumours, no doubt.  
The air was slightly nippy, but the sun was shining, and it felt good on Tom's pale skin. Elodie too seemed to enjoy it, since a more placid smile replaced the nervous one on her lips, and her grip slackened, easing into a more natural one.  
They walked in silence along the dirt path, passing the Care of Magical Creatures class as they fished for creatures in the lake. _That_ was the one class Tom loathed; it was completely and utterly useless. Even a simpleton could understand it... A simpleton could TEACH it, if they wished.

Tom paused at a tree, then sat down, pulling her down next to him and smiling, "See... Isn't it a nice day?"  
"Y-Yes," she replied, picking at a loose string on her cloak, twirling it around her finger, "Tom... Can I ask you something?"  
"Hmm?"

He leaned back against the tree, relaxing and staring out across the field. They were building a town just down the path soon, Hogsemeade was the chosen name. Perhaps he would take Elodie there, once the first shop had opened.  
She shifted around on the grass, just so her legs were under her and she sighed, "Why did you bring me here?"  
He did not look at her, but chose to watch a tiny tuff of cloud billowing across the sky, "Because Divination is boring."  
"But... But you have so many friends you could be with," she protested, "Why did you take me?"  
"Because my... friends are boring," he stated, somewhat truthfully, "And I would rather be with someone as intelligent as you. I'm sure you can hold a conversation, if you tried."  
The last comment seemed to quiet her for a few moments, and Tom was sick of it. He touched her chin lightly with his finger and she flinched, "I've been watching you... You're really quite lovely, you know."

Her cheeks tinted again and she eyes bore up at him, wide and alert. He grinned; it was working.

_Compliments for a woman's hand, Tom, compliments for a woman's hand._

He knew.  
He inched a little closer, another finger touching her jaw line and forcing her to look up at him, "And... And I want to spend more time with you... You seem like a flower in spring, not quite ready to bloom... What do you say, Elodie? Can I spend my time with you?"  
"As in..." she sputtered, and Tom grinned, "Romantically speaking... Nothing less."

Her mouth opened and closed several times; this must have been such a wonderful day for her.  
"But what about your friends?" she whispered, her eyes still wide, "None of our house even likes me... Or notices me-"  
"That doesn't make a difference to me," he said casually, releasing her and resuming his spot against the tree. Elodie gently touched her jaw, her fingers sliding along where Tom's had once been, "You want to be my... boyfriend?"  
"Don't sound so shocked, kitten," he purred, sending her a seductive look, "I'm sure you've always had boys aching for you."

Ha. She needed to fix herself up before anyone, especially Tom, would be aching for her. But he could fix that. He would fix her.

"Boys don't like me," she said, almost childishly, and began to pick at her nails, "You're the first person to say I'm lovely."  
"Surely your... father says it to you," Tom spat, a little more harshly then he meant. The whole topic of fathers was a little dangerous in his mind.  
"H-He says I'm rather horrid, actually," she mumbled, "W-Wishes I looked m-more like mum."  
"Your father must be blind," he said soothingly, touching her leg, "Perhaps a vision impairment?"  
She giggled nervously and her eyes wandered down to his hand. It was resting just above her knee, but not too far up. He smirked and began drawing small circles with his thumb, "But Elodie... Don't you think you're lovely?"  
"I'm..." she paused for a moment, thinking, "Average."  
Rightly said. Atleast she wasn't too full of herself. Sometimes it blinded people.

_Move quickly, Tom, move quickly._

He was.

_Time passes, Tom, time passes._

He knew.

"Want to walk around the lake?" he inquired. She watched him stand up and he quickly helped her to her feet, "But... But we'll miss another class-"  
"So we will," he mused, shrugging his shoulders, "Come on... Don't you want to walk with me?"  
"I do, Tom."

Of course she did.


	3. Annoyance

She could hardly believe her luck. Tom Riddle wanted to be her boyfriend!

He thought she was lovely, and the word seemed to ring in her head all day.

Now she did not have to sit two tables away and watch him in the library. He came to sit with her!

The whole idea just made her giddy, and everytime he looked up from his work, she would catch his gaze and smile, somewhat sheepishly, and he'd grin straight back.  
She had made up a lie of sickness when she went to collect her homework from her teachers. Tom stated she should wait a day, that way she would get more time to do it, but that just wasn't in her nature. She needed to do something. Essays. Projects. Text-book questions. Anything!  
Much to her pleasure, there had been a massive load of homework from all of her classes, giving her a lot of work for that evening. Tom had some homework too, but only from the classes he went to with her. He said he'd get his work later.

"Tom!" Denise cried, making her way towards him with her friends, "We missed you today... Where were you?"  
"I was spending time with Elodie," he explained, nodding to her with a grin, "We decided classes were a little too boring for such a nice day."  
Elodie couldn't look at the other girls, so she smiled back at him, then continued with her homework.  
"But... You always stay with us," Denise simpered, sounding quite put out, "Why were you with her?"  
"I don't think you have any right to ask me about my business," Tom snarled, his tone making Elodie flinched. The girls behind Denise fell silent, and she brushed some blonde hair behind her shoulder, "But... But Tom, you and I-"  
"Are friends," he snapped, rolling his eyes, "I think my girlfriend is levitated to a higher status then friends."

Elodie's jaw dropped, mimicking Denise's, and she felt Tom look at her, "Besides... I wasn't in the mood to listen to which boy has a nicer behind for the umpteenth time, Denise. Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to do homework."  
Denise's lip quivered and she stalked off, shooting Elodie a glare over her shoulder. She made a face, "Oh, Tom... I have to share a room with her... She'll put something in my bed now!"  
Tom snorted loudly and cocked an eyebrow, "You really shouldn't worry about her... She's rather dim, you know."  
"I... I-I know," she giggled, playing with the feathery tip of her quill, "But now she has more of a reason to hate me."  
"Why?"  
Couldn't he see it? Elodie frowned, "Well... It's obvious that she f-fancies you, Tom."  
"Is it?" he mused, scratching out something in the textbook and writing a blurb on the side, "I hadn't noticed."

Elodie stared down at the text-book that he had just ruined. It was the Seventh Year Dark Arts book; it was a new edition!

"Tom..." she murmured, "What are you doing?"  
"Homework."  
"But... But you've ruined the book," she commented, pointing the black ink staining the pages. Tom followed her motion to the page and shrugged, "I made it better... None of this made sense."  
"But... You can't just mark it on the book," she pronounced, staring at the boy across from her.

So he had one little quirk. Besides that, he was blissfully perfect.  
He smirked cheekily, and moved two seats closer, then around the table so that he was next to her.  
Her breathing quickened and she instantly looked away, returning to her homework.  
Now... Unicorn hair mixed with root of an Alpine tree gave you- Her heart skipped a beat as Tom began to play with her hair, twirling the ponytail strands around his finger. She wanted to shut her eyes and enjoy his touch. Slowly, his hands went to the elastic holding her hair up, and he pulled it loose, sending her hair tumbling down to her shoulders.  
It was messy, she knew it just _had_ to be messy. He was probably wrinkling her nose at it that second!  
Bashfully, Elodie looked at him from the corner of her eye, and she noted he was removing his wand.

"What are you doing?" she asked defensively. Whenever someone had drawn a wand out in the past, it only meant one thing; a curse.  
Or a hex.  
One of the two.

"Relax, kitten," he cooed, turning in his chair to face her, "I just want to try something."

She stiffened when she heard him mutter something under his breath, and out of her side vision she noticed something odd. Her hair had straightened out completely, and as she ran a hand over it, it felt silky and soft. Tom pursed his lips together and swatted her hand away, then flicked his wand at her once again, changing the rigid locks into large ringlets, which clearly pleased him much more.

"It looks much nicer like this," he chuckled, pushing a curly strand away from her eye, "I don't know why you've never done it before."  
"People would see me then," she murmured, going back to her work, "I never wanted that."  
"I see you," he whispered into her ear, his hand trailing down her side, "I see you for what you really are... A genius misunderstood in her time. My sweet little Elodie... You must try now, for me, to put an effort into your appearance. You are only as beautiful as you let yourself be. Why stop short?"  
"I-"

"Mr. Riddle, just the boy I was looking for," Madame Truvat trilled as she hurried out from behind a bookshelf, her hands filled with thick books. Tom backed away from Elodie as quickly as he could, and she tucked her hair behind her ears, her cheeks flaming with the scenario that she had been caught in. Madame Truvat's large body barely fit between the table and the nearest bookshelf, but she managed to get through, "Come boy, and give an old woman some help here."

Tom was on his feet swiftly, catching a book that tumbled from her hand, then took the majority of the stack.

Elodie smiled as she watched him; her Tom was so caring.

He shot her a rather comical desperate look as the librarian ordered him to follow her, and Elodie nodded on, sending him a pointed stare as she laughed.  
Once he was out of sight, she changed her book into a mirror and got a quick look at herself. While her hair was usually messy and full of knots, Tom had made it curly and... pleasant to look at.  
With a wave of her wand, the mirror changed back to the book, and she sighed. The day had been... wonderful. All of it was Tom.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone was sitting here."

Elodie snapped out of her daydreaming and spied a boy, a Gryffindor boy, from her year, standing a few feet away from her, his bag nearly breaking at the amount of books in it.  
"It's a large table," she said softly, pulling her and Tom's things to their side, "You can sit if y-you want."  
He ran a hand through his messy black hair and dumped his bag onto the table, causing it to thud loudly, and Elodie wondered if the entire library heard it.

"I've never seen you before," he commented, then frowned when he got a proper look at her, "Oh, right... Slytherin-"  
"You don't have t-to leave," Elodie said quickly, not wanting the first person, besides Tom, who had spoken to her to rush off because of her house, "I'm not like the other Slytherins... I p-promise."  
He studied her closely for a minute, then sat down, "Good... I just had to deal with a whole lot of them back in the corridor. My name's Edward by the way."  
He held out his hand and she timidly shook it, "Elodie."  
"Pretty name," he said earnestly, sitting back down and pulling out his books. She watched him, curious. Where all Gryffindors like this?

"Elodie, how could you let her take me away-"  
Tom's voice stopped abruptly and she glanced back, noticing his eyes narrowing at Edward, "Well _Potter_, can I help you?"

* * *

Tom glared at the buffoon sitting at his table. Potter. The boy disgraced the noble name.  
He had always hated Edward Potter. From the moment they both tried to get onto the Hogwarts Express at the same time in his first year, Tom knew he would hate him. They dueled in the hallways, spat at each other in class, and because of their feud, their friends hated the other friends. It was only right; it was between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, they should loathe each other.

"I'm just sitting, Riddle," Edward snarled, "Since when has that been a crime?"  
"Since it was with my girlfriend," Tom growled, "Elodie, pack your things, we're leaving."  
"But, Tom-"  
"Do it!"

She whimpered and began putting her books into her bag. Edward rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, Riddle. Elodie and I were just talking... No need to get so insane over it."  
"I don't want her to get sick," he snarled, grasping Elodie's hand and pulling her away, "Filthy trash like yourself is never good around a young lady."  
Edward let out a snort as Tom swept out of the library, dragging Elodie with him. She winced as his hand tightened around her wrist; he took his frustration out on that slender wrist.  
"T-Tom," she gasped, finally tugging at him to release her. Tom sneered and threw her hand away, his fists clenching up, "When I ask you to do something, I'd hope you would trust me enough to do it!"

She drew her wrist to her body, cradling it gently.

_Girls will cry, Tom, girls will cry._

He groaned and reached out to touch her, by she flinched away, only for a moment, then moved closer to him.  
She still came to him, today had not been a waste.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling her into his chest, her head under his chin, "I have a short temper."  
"Oh."  
"And that damn Potter just..." he trailed off as he felt her tense up again. Sighing, her pulled her wrist up to his mouth and kissed it tenderly, "I shouldn't have done that..."

_Such a nice boy, Tom, such a nice boy._

"I-It's ok," she murmured, pulling her wrist away from him and taking a step back, "But... This is going really fast, Tom, I don't know-"  
"I'm just eager," he said quickly, cutting her off, "I'm sorry. I can be slow, if you'd like."  
"Thank you," she mumbled, adjusting the strap of her bag. Tom grabbed Elodie's hand and began to take them back to the Slytherin Common Room, silence engulfing them in the near empty hallways.

He cursed violently in his head. He was moving along so damn well, until Potter had to come along and ruin it for him. And now, she wouldn't trust him as much; wonderful. A sarcastic wonderful, to say the least.

_Hasty is as hasty does, Tom, hasty is as hasty does._

Tom would have to work extra hard tomorrow, just to make up for tonight's blunder. He ground his teeth together with annoyance.


	4. Use Her

"Oh, Elodie, dear," Denise trilled falsely as Elodie stepped into their shared room, "So glad you're here... Come, sit with us."  
"O-Ok," she stammered, shuffling over to Denise's bed, which was crowded with her friends, and gingerly took a seat on the end.

It was late. Most students were asleep, and they could kill her without anyone noticing.  
"We see you and Tom are together," Denise stated, raising an eyebrow, "I just hope you know what you're getting into."  
That was a laugh. Of course she knew. Tom was the most perfect boy ever. He was caring, wonderful... Her eyes clouded over dreamily just thinking about it.  
"Mudblood," Denise snarled, "Stay with us, for Salazar's sake! Tom shouldn't be tangled with lightly."  
"Why?" Elodie asked skeptically, "He seems ... great."  
"He's violent," she snapped, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "And that's all I have to say... Now get off my bed. Any longer and I'll need to have it thoroughly cleaned."

Elodie jumped off, as if she had been hexed, and made her way to her bed, which was in the corner of the room, somewhat pushed away from the rest. With a sigh, she sat, and began undressing, ready to turn in for the night.  
Tom, violent? How did Denise of all people know this? He had held her wrist a little tight before, but that was because he was angry at that Edward Potter fellow.  
She paused and held up her hand in front of her face, studying her pale wrist. There were bruises where Tom had held, and her stomach lurched. He wouldn't do it again. He said he was sorry. She believed him.

Of course she did.

She forced any vile thoughts of her darling Tom to the farthest corner of her mind, and continued changing for bed, sleeping soundly for once.

"What's wrong, kitten?" Tom asked as he began to curl his finger around her hair, "You seem distracted."  
The pair were in the library, once again, doing homework, and Elodie just couldn't stay focused.  
"I'm j-just thinking," she muttered. Tom grinned charmingly and gave on of her strands a sharp tug, "About what?"  
She shot him a look, and he returned to gently twirling her hair, his eyes innocent and wide. She flushed, "Just... Just something Denise said to me last night."  
"And what did she say?" he pondered, his hand wrapping around her hair a little faster. Elodie shrugged, "Something about y-you being violent."  
He stopped, "What?"  
"I didn't think it was anything," she assured him, quickly turning toward him and setting her hands on his arm, "I just..."  
"Don't let Denise fill that powerful mind of yours with her lies," he said, his voice eerily calm, "Promise me you won't listen to her."  
She nodded and he smiled, then motioned down to her work, "Now... Don't you have something you need to finish."

She stared at him for a moment, gulped and brought her face very close to his, planting a kiss on his cheek. He grinned wolfishly and turned his head, their foreheads resting against each other. She inhaled quickly as he swooped in to kiss her, but in that same instant, she turned away, tucking in her chair a little more and continuing with her work. She needed to wait until she let him kiss her. What if she was no good?

"Refresh my memory, kitten," he mumbled, his hand returning to her hair, "Denise said I was violent?"  
Elodie nodded, her focus finally on her homework, where it belonged, "Yes... Yes, it was Denise."

Had she turned her head, she would have watched Tom smile wickedly.

Nearly a week later, Denise's body was found stunned outside the castle, her lips blue from the chilly night. Dippet and his professors were baffled.

Three perfect weeks had passed by with Tom.

He met her every morning with a kiss on the cheek, and a delicious, "Good morning, beautiful." From there, the pair walked hand in hand to the Great Hall. Sometimes they would sit alone, sometimes Adrian and Julian joined them. The pair were obnoxious, nothing like Tom, but Elodie gritted her teeth and smiled, never telling her Tom that they bothered her.  
Her life was finally moving along. She had friends, to an extent, and an amazing boyfriend who catered to everything she asked. Sometimes she didn't even _need_ to ask anything, he'd just do it.  
There were a few times when he seemed to have difficulty controlling his anger, but would never take it out on her. Most of the time he wouldn't. Sometimes. She pushed past it; everything was so perfect, and she didn't want to ruin it for them.

"Come, Elodie," Tom whispered, pulling her away from the girls' dormitory staircase, "I want to show you something."  
"W-Where are we going?" she inquired, linking her fingers with his as he led her down a small, more dimly lit hall. The closed in space made her feel uneasy, and she inched a little closer to her Tom. He stopped and murmured something under his breath, causing a hole in the wall to appear. Elodie blinked at the sudden burst of light, and noticed he was taking her into a bedroom.

She started to panic. A bedroom? Already?

"Tom-"  
"Shh," he purred, "I just wanted to show you the Head Boy's room... It's nice."

His tone was so soothing, and she breathed a dreamy sigh and followed him in, stopping to take in the room as he shut the door, locking it firmly behind him.  
There was a writing desk covered with papers and books in one corner, while in the other was a green, plush arm chair. A large black rug took up the center of the room, while a single bed occupied one of the walls, near a door, which most likely led to the bathroom.  
It was simple, but did not seem to suit Tom. He deserved much more; his personality was so much bigger.

"What do you think?" he asked, extending his arms and twirling in a circle, "My home away from... well... home."  
"It's wonderful, Tom," she gushed, smiling at how happy he seemed, "I really do like it!"  
"You can come in here anytime you wish," he exclaimed, catching her around the waist and lifting her up, causing her to release a giggle and he twirled her in a circle. For a few moments, he just held her there, looking longingly at her lips, and instinctively she licked them.

"So... What's the password?" she inquired, hoping to distract him, "I'll n-need it to get in, won't I?"

She had not kissed him yet, and did not intend to. What if he didn't like it? That same fear was still eating at her, and she didn't want to drive him away.  
Tom sighed and set her down, "Marvolo... My middle name."  
"Tom Marvolo Riddle?" she mused, trying out the name on her own tongue, "I-I like it."  
"We do need to do something about you stuttering," he chuckled, hoisting her off her feet, once again and walking her towards his desk. He set her down atop the papers and planted his hands firmly on either side of her body, looking her directly in the eye, "Why do you stutter?"  
"B-Because I get nervous," she admitted, looking away from him. His hand whipped up and caught her jaw, forcing her to look back at him, "Why do you get nervous?"  
"I don't know," she squeaked, inching a little farther from him on the desk, "I j-just do."  
He released a lengthy sigh and pressed his forehead against hers, "Elodie... When may I kiss you?"

She gasped softly; he wanted to kiss her. Oh, Gods, that was why he brought her in here! She needed to leave. She couldn't ruin it for them.

"I h-have homework still..." she stammered, sliding off the desk. Tom, however, remained where he was, not moving his body the slightest bit. He had her pinned to the desk, one of his legs pushing apart her thighs and keeping her feet from completely touching the ground.

"Homework can wait," he purred, bringing his head down and nibbling on her neck. She made a soundless protest, and shut her eyes, enjoying the soft caresses of his lips. He applied a little more force on a pressure point, dragging a breathy moan from her lips, "Tom..."  
"Put your hands on me," he ordered, his lips just barely leaving her neck, "On my shoulder... And in my hair... Good..."  
She ran her fingers tentatively through his hair, her jaw open slightly as Tom continued kissing around her neck, nibbling here and there. Her attempt to keep long, steady breaths failed completely, and she started to take quick, sharp inhales, and she murmured his name as her grip tightened in his hair.  
His hands trailed up her sides lazily, curving up around her breasts and she suddenly felt the urge to pull away.

"No... Tom..." she muttered, pushing against his chest. He broke contact with her skin, pressing his lips next to her ear, "Put your hand in my hair, kitten."  
She obliged only when his hands returned to her back, running up and down, causing shivers to erupt across her skin. He finally placed his lips back onto her neck, but instead of roaming, as he did before, he clamped down with more force then ever, causing her to jump and pull at his hair. Her eyes widened and she bit her lip as she felt him sucking at her skin, his arms tightening around her, holding her in place as she squirmed.

"Tom," she hissed, "Tom, t-that hurts. Tom... Ah... Tom, s-stop!"  
He nipped at the already sensitive skin and pulled away, leaning back to admire her, "I marked you, kitten. It'll be darker tomorrow... You may just want to put some make-up over it, or something."  
"I-I don't have any make-up," she admitted, running her hand over the mark on her neck. It was not large, but not tiny either. Her fingers traced it as Tom watched, a disbelieving gleam in his eye, "All girls have make-up."  
"Well I don't," she responded, her eyes suddenly getting a little teary, "I don't have anything other girls have."  
"Oh, I can assure you, kitten, you do," he chuckled, reaching up and wiping a tear that was clinging to her lashes, "It's fine if you don't have make-up... You can just wear your hair to cover it."  
"Th-Thank you, Tom," she whispered, sending him a watery smile. He grinned, "No, thank you, kitten."

She wanted to melt. But, she forced her mind to remember they were dating. Couples were supposed to do those sorts of things!

Tom backed away, allowing her to finally set her feet on the ground and straighten out her skirt, which had been hitched up around her thighs. She noticed he was watching her, once again, and her cheeks tinted, "I think I'm going to do that... homework now."  
She moved past him, lightly brushing his arm as a symbol of departure, but to her shock, the door wouldn't open.  
That's right. He had locked it.  
"Tom?" she called, tugging on the door handle, "How do you open it?"  
"It's locked, kitten."  
"I know it's locked," she giggled, shooting him a look, "Why? To keep people out?"  
"Mostly to keep people in."

*-

Tom watched with utter delight as terror swept over her face, "Keep people in? Tom..."  
"Stay with me, for tonight," he urged, moving towards in a predatory fashion, "I'm not asking you to sleep with me, just... stay over."  
"Tom, we haven't been dating that long," she whimpered, backing into the door.

_Like a small girl, Tom, like a small girl._

That she was. Timid and afraid. Tom needed to break that.

"I know," he murmured, grabbing her hand and forcing her to walk toward his bed, "But... I just... I want you to stay with me."  
Her trust was fading, and he watched her eyes dart around, probably looking for a way out. He smirked, "There's only one way out. Calm down, kitten..."  
He swept her up easily, she hardly weighed anything, and dumped her on the small bed, "Just for tonight... Don't you trust me?"  
"I d-do," she stuttered, her eyes widening as he loosened his tie and tossed it aside, then shrugged off his robe. He sat on the edge of the bed, kicking off his shoes. Grinning, he grabbed her feet and tugged free both of her shoes, setting them on the ground, "No shoes in bed, kitten, is my only rule."  
"I don't think I'm ready for this, Tom," she protested as he crawled toward her. With a swift motion, he pulled her tie loose and tossed it aside, "I said I didn't want to sleep with you, Elodie... Why won't you trust me?"

The girl did trust him. He just needed to hear it.

"I trust you, Tom," she said slowly, sitting up and removing her robe. He took it and hung it over the end of the bed, smirking as he caught her untucking her shirt after undoing the top button.

_Just a little lower, Tom, just a little lower._

His eyes traveled down to her chest, wishing he could continue with his exploring from earlier. She felt so good in his hands. Not too large, but not small; perfect.  
He rolled off the bed and grabbed an extra pillow from his closet, tossing it to her and extinguishing the candles that lit his room.

_Breathe the darkness, Tom, breathe the darkness._

He inhaled slowly, groping about in the general direction of the bed, until finally he felt small hands guide him the rest of the way.

"Pull the cover back," he drawled, releasing her hands and hearing her do as he asked.  
Excellent. Little steps was what he needed. Just baby steps.  
He removed his belt and shirt, dumping them onto the floor, then crawled into bed, hearing her gasp when she touched his bare chest.

"You being shirtless is, of course, optional," he chuckled, his hands snaking up her torso and pulling her down onto him. They lay like that for some time, her resting her head on his shoulder as he stared up at the ceiling, his eyes slowly becoming adjusted. After some time, he sat up on his elbows and grabbed the comforter, which had currently been laying at their feet, and dragged it up over their bodies. He brushed her skirt on the way up, which was still far too long, in his opinion.

_Smaller, Tom, smaller._

_  
_He would fix that. He hadn't fixed her completely yet.

She didn't need to be fixed for what he wanted to do with her, but if he was going to spend most of his free time with her, as he had done for the past few weeks, she needed to be fixed.  
Fixed, fixed, fixed. The word sounded over and over in his head and he smirked; she would be perfect when he was done.

"Night," he murmured, kissing her forehead gently. She smiled against his neck, snuggling in closer, "Night, Tom."

_Night again, Tom, night again._

Yes, yes it was.

_Use her, Tom, use her._

_  
_He would, indeed he would. The real question was; would he keep her?


	5. Forever

"Tom?" she called from across his room, sitting in the large, green armchair, "Which questions did Slughorn a-assign from the book?"  
Tom sat at his writing desk, feverishly writing an essay for Charms. She waited for a moment, "Tom?"

"One through fourteen," he replied finally, glancing back over his shoulder with a smile. She grinned and went back to her work, which was slightly awkward to do sitting cross-legged on an armchair, but somehow she managed.

Another week had passed since she slept over with Tom, and he had brought her back more and more. Elodie never felt completely comfortable staying with him during the night, so she usually made excuses whenever he asked. After a few days of 'not feeling well', Tom stated she should either see the nurse or stop lying to him. With a defeated sigh, she finally began agreeing to go anywhere he asked, since he could see through most of her lies.  
He never pushed her, and he did not kiss her either. He focused mainly on her neck, which by the end of the week was rather sore.

Tom seemed to find it normal to lock the door once they were inside, and as soon as he did, she knew he was going to make her stay.

Nothing mattered though. It was Tom. Her Tom.

Once she had finished her homework, she slipped her books back into her bag and stood up, straightening out her skirt and stretching. It was nearly eleven; time flies when you're doing homework.

"Tom, I think I'm going to bed now," she announced, heading toward the door. Just as she was about to ask him to unlock it, he stated, "I'll join you in a minute, kitten."  
She sighed and decided there was no point in trying to argue with him, so she slipped out of her shoes and crawled onto the bed, snuggling onto one of the pillows and watching him.

He was such a focused worker. When they were doing homework, he'd become very annoyed if anything, or anyone, distracted him.  
She waited for a good five minutes to pass, and boredom passed through her rapidly, so, she went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Tom asked her to bring all of her things, mainly tooth brushes and things, down into his room so she wouldn't have any reason to go back to her dormitory at night.  
When she had finished, she took one final look in the mirror, studying her now curly locks. They complimented her nicely, but for some reason, she missed the messy style from before.  
Extinguishing the torches that kept the bathroom well lit, she returned to the other room only to find Tom stretched out on the bed, shoes removed, tie gone, and a few shirt buttons undone.  
Oh he was so handsome.

"Come here, kitten," he ordered, smirking at her cheekily. She shuffled toward him, but he hastily told her to stop when she was in center of the carpet. Tom removed his wand, "Twirl in a circle for me."  
"Why?" she asked, frowning. His eyes narrowed, "Twirl."

She complied, feeling suddenly very self conscious as Tom looked her over. She stopped after one complete circle and folded her hands over her chest, gasping when he flicked his wand at her. To her horror, her skirt shortened a few inches. While it was the mandatory length before, just below her knees, it was now an inch or two higher, showing off quite a bit more leg then she wanted.

"Tom!" she shrieked, and began tugging at her skirt, trying to make it a little longer, "What are you doing?"  
"It looks better like this," he declared, swishing his hand at her untucked shirt. The white material began to shrink, tightening around her chest and stomach. Her eyes widened and she felt so bare before him. Quickly, she turned around, her breathing quickening a little, "Change it b-back, Tom!" she said loudly, still keeping her back to him. Before she could react, he had himself pressed up behind her, his lips running smoothly over her neck. Tom chuckled, "Come on, kitten... You look very... alluring like this."  
"I feel so... so..." she couldn't even find the word that suited her feelings, "Trampish."  
"What?" he laughed, his hands curving around her stomach, "Just because your uniform is a little tighter? All of girls wear it like this."  
"I'm n-not all the girls," she whispered, "Please, change it back, Tom."  
"No."

"Morning you two," Adrian greeted as Tom pulled her down to sit with the boys at breakfast. Julian's eyes traveled over the opening in her school cloak and he frowned, "Something looks different about you today."  
"New uniform," Tom chuckled as Elodie helped herself to some food, remaining in silence. She felt so horrible walking around like this. All the boys she had passed watched her discreetly, and Tom, for some reason, just smirked at the attention she was getting.  
She had always wanted it, but for some reason, she didn't like it.

Screeches suddenly filled the Great Hall, and Elodie looked up, noting the mail had arrived. She never really knew how it felt to receive mail, since her parents refused to even get near her owl, so she was forced to watch others enjoy it.  
A caramel coloured owl, one of the larger ones, landed beside Adrian, deposited a letter, then took off once again, leaving the hall.

"Hey... Look at that," he exclaimed, smiling as he took out a photo, "My nephew turns four today."  
"W-What's his name?" Elodie inquired, feeling slightly curious. He grinned and handed her the picture, "Lucius. My brother and his wife are so proud of him... You can most definitely tell he's a Malfoy."

Elodie glanced down at the photo and a small, blonde haired boy and a house elf stood in front of a tree. The boy, Lucius, grinned toothily, revealing he was missing one tooth in the front, and there was a flash. Once the flash died down, he tugged on the house elf's ears, laughing as the creature began to squirm.

"He seems... sweet," Elodie managed as she gave him the photo back. Adrian beamed, "Pure Malfoy."  
"Is there any other kind?" Tom asked, his voice sounding somewhat amused, however, Elodie could hear something else behind it. Something different.  
Adrian cleared his throat and stuffed the picture back into the envelope, "Of course not... Malfoys are _only_ pure."  
"Good to hear," Tom chuckled, finishing up his food and pushing his plate away. Elodie continued to eat, only to flinch when his hand came to rest on her thigh. With the new shortness of her skirt, she did not like his hand anywhere near bare skin, but there was nothing she could do if she did not want to create a scene.  
A hand lightly skimmed her back, and she jumped, whipping around to see Professor Dumbledore, his eyes watching Tom with some sort of caution.

"May I speak with you a moment, Elodie?" he inquired, a smile returning to his lips. Tom pursed his lips, "She hasn't finished eating her breakfast, _sir_."  
"Not to worry, Tom," Dumbledore protested, shooting him a small smirk, "I'll have her back in no time... Just a moment, Elodie."

She nodded and went to stand up, but she found Tom had not removed his hand. Her cheeks started to burn when she spotted Dumbledore eyeing Tom's hand, so she shoved it off as quickly as she could and rose, following the elderly wizard out of the hall.  
"I don't mean to disturb you," he stated, beckoning for her to follow her to his office, which was only down the hall, "I could hardly find you... Quite a change you've undergone, Ms. Greensworth."

Elodie cringed. Rarely did her favourite professor ever use her last name, unless it was strictly a professional sort of speech.

"T-Tom helped me," she admitted, stepping inside the warm office and taking a seat on a large, orange chair, as usual, "He said I looked nicer like this."  
"I don't see why Mr. Riddle should have a say in your appearance," he commented, shutting the door and sauntering around to his desk, sitting behind it, "Chocolate?"  
"Thank you," she murmured politely, taking a wrapped chocolate out of the jar on his desk. He always had some sort of candy, wherever he went. Sometimes she wondered if he had his pockets lined with the sweet food, since many times when he had found her roaming the halls alone, he had a tasty treat to lighten her mood.

"We're dating," she confessed, smiling giddily, "We have been for a few weeks now."  
He frowned and his eyes snapped up to her face, "A few weeks, eh? My, seems like quite a while."  
She watched, puzzled, as his face flashed a series of emotions; confusion, concern, then understanding.  
"I would watch out for young Tom Riddle," he reflected, looking over his thin, half-moon spectacles at her, "Don't think poorly of me for my opinion, Elodie, I merely don't trust the boy."  
"Oh, b-but he's so sweet!" Elodie argued, instantly jumping to her Tom's defense, "He really cares about me! Honest, Professor... I mean as much to him as he means to me."  
Dumbledore nodded, his features turning placid once more, "Of course... Now, Elodie, I did not ask you here to talk about Tom."

Elodie began to fidget, pulling her skirt a little more down her legs, hoping it didn't look too short on her. The elderly man grinned, "And no, it's not about your uniform, which I must say, seems to have shrunk in the wash."  
Elodie breathed a short sigh of relief; he would not press the matter.  
"Your head of house, Professor Slughorn, tells me you have not yet decided on a career," he began, folding his hands together, "And while I applaud you for taking ever subject possible, I think you seriously need to put some consideration into your future. You have grades high enough to apply for the Ministry," Elodie gasped, "And I think you would make a wonderful auror."

"Really?" she squeaked, her stomach knotting, "An auror? Oh... I've always wondered what it would be like to work in that field... It's so fascinating!"  
"Yes, yes, you see!" he laughed, his eyes twinkling, "There is an endless amount of possibilities for you! I'm sure the next headmaster would even offer you a job teaching."  
"Teaching?" she blurted, "Next headmaster? Dippet is l-leaving?"  
"He is," Dumbledore said simply, shrugging his shoulders, "He wishes to see the mountains of Europe, all of them, before he gets too old... I trust you'll keep it quiet he is retiring."  
"Oh, I will," she promised, fiddling with her fingers, "I've never thought of what I'm going to do once school is over... I just assumed I w-would know!"  
"I suggest, over the Christmas break, looking into some work at the Ministry," he chuckled, "Take a student tour around, just to see what it's like. They have them daily, really for whoever shows up. I think you'd find it quite interesting."  
Elodie grinned, then flushed as her stomach let out an angry growl, demanding she return and finish her meal.  
"I couldn't have said that better myself," Dumbledore laughed, "Take another chocolate, poppet, and be on your way."

*-

"What the bloody Hell will he want with her?" Tom snarled, watching as Dumbledore ushered Elodie out of the Great Hall, "Probably off to tell her how horrible I am, and she needs to find a new boyfriend."  
"Wouldn't rule it out," Julian whispered darkly as he swallowed his bite, "He does seem to have something against you."

_Stupid fool, Tom, stupid fool._

_  
_Yes, yes he was. The idiot Dumbledore had been on his case ever since they first met nearly ten years ago. He would be first on Tom's list of people to slaughter once he was finished with school.

"Hey, Tom?" Adrian prodded, poking him under the table with his foot, "Rosier was wondering if we're going to have a meeting soon... Just to go over... You know... The ... thing."  
Tom rolled his eyes and made sure no one was listening, "None of _you_ are involved in the 'thing', as you so elegantly put it. It's between Elodie and I... I don't trust any of you enough to take part in it."

They both seemed slightly put off, but recovered quickly, telling him it was no problem, and they understood.

Good. There was no reason for them to press on. Idiots.

His eyes traveled back to the entrance of the hall, and they narrowed when he spotted Edward waving at Elodie as she made her way back towards the table. She smiled weakly and gave a feeble wave back, then continued on.

_That shouldn't be, Tom, that shouldn't be._

Of course it shouldn't! He had caught that damn Potter smiling at Elodie ever since he learned she was alive. It was only because he had fixed her. Potter wouldn't have given her a second look had he seen her before.

"What did he want?" Tom snapped as Elodie returned to her seat, digging back into her meal. She shrugged, "H-He said he thinks I'd do good in the Ministry, and wants me to go visit it over the Christmas holiday."  
The holiday? No! That would ruin everything! He needed her here, here where he could watch her.

"I think it's a stupid idea," Julian interjected, catching Tom's irritated look, "I mean... The Ministry is for people who don't give a damn about the rest of us... You care about people, don't you, Elodie?"  
She shifted, "Well, y-yes-"  
"Then I'd blow off the whole thing," Adrian continued as Julian nodded, "Sounds like a waste of time... What are they going to show you, how to file something?"  
"Not quite," she mumbled, poking at her food, "He thinks I should consider getting some auror training."  
Tom nearly spat out his juice, and she delicately patted him on the back as he began coughing.

_Make her stay, Tom, make her stay._

_  
_"Elodie, kitten," he chuckled, rubbing her leg as he continued to cough slightly, "An auror? Really? You are too jittery to be one... You jump at everything. A desk job would be more suitable."  
"I suppose," she sighed, looking a little hurt as she went back to eating.

_Smooth it over, Tom, smooth it over._

_  
_Adrian and Julian packed up their things, leaving the pair alone. Tom groaned, "I don't mean you wouldn't make a good auror, kitten... Just, not right away, to say the least."  
"You're right," she assured, "I'd be horrid... Can you imagine? The f-first Dark Wizard to corner me somewhere would be the end of it. No, I d-don't think I'll go."  
Tom smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear, "That's my girl... I'll help you look for a career during the Christmas break... I won't be going home."

"Oh."

Was she planning on going home? He never paid her any attention in the previous years, or enough attention anyway, to notice whether or not she went home to her family.  
"Don't you want to stay with me?"  
The famous guilty lines, which seemed to win her over each time, proved useful again, and she nodded, "Yes, I'll stay with you! I'll write mother and f-father that I won't be coming home."  
"Wonderful... I'm sure this holiday will be one to remember, forever."

_Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever._


	6. Precaution

"Now... I want you all to make a dream diary, yes I know you've made them before, and I want it handed in by the end of the week. We all dream, and they all have meanings. You're excused."

Tom and Elodie gathered up their belongings and made way for the door, both happy to be free from Divination. Elodie hated making dream diaries, since she could never remember her dreams when it came time to writing them.  
It was late in October, nearly a week away from Halloween, and Elodie noticed Tom had been leaving her more often, usually sneaking off with Adrian and Julian, and would return a few hours later, quite smug. She never asked him where he was going, or what he was doing; she knew he wouldn't tell her.

"Kitten?" Tom whispered, pulling her away from the main stream of people, "I need your help with something. Something very important."  
Her heart fluttered just looking into his eyes, and she sighed, "Anything, Tom."  
He grinned and kissed her cheek, "Wonderful. Now, listen closely. In Slughorn's office, there is a book. Not just any book, but the only one of it's kind in Hogwarts. It's called _Inconcessus Veneficium_, and it's far too important to be kept even in the Restricted Section of the library. I need you to get it for me."  
"How would I get it?" she murmured, struggling to translate the Latin book title to English, "And why would you want it? Can't you just a-ask Slughorn for it?"  
"My, my, so many questions," he purred, running his hand through her hair, "Don't you want to help me?"  
"Of course I do," she confirmed, nodding, "But Tom... The book translates to Forbbiden Magic... Isn't that d-dangerous?"  
"It's a fairly simple book to handle," he stated nonchalantly, "And I'd get it myself, but Slughorn is getting suspicious of me."  
"Why?" she blurted before she could stop herself. Tom grinned, "Must have been dear Dumbledore's doing... The man hates me."

"Oh..." she trailed off, going deep into thought. Dumbledore _had_ said he did not trust Tom, and the old man had a very good judge of character. However, she didn't see what there was to not like, and pushed Dumbledore out of her mind, "When shall I g-go see him?"  
"Now," he urged, grasping her hand and pulling her back into the flow of students, all chatting noisily in the hallway, "He has a free period. The book is located in his office, in the drawer of his desk, the top one. Please, please do this for me, kitten."  
"I promise, I'll get it," she muttered, shooting him a smile. He returned it, but it was not a loving smile. Quite on the contrast; it was a cruel, hungry smile, one which gave Elodie shivers as she slipped away from his side.  
"Professor Slughorn?" Elodie called, knocking on the door to his vacant classroom, "Sir?"  
"Oh, hello Ms. Greensworth!" he boomed from the storage cupboard near the back, "Give me a moment... First years left this thing a mess!"

"T-Take your time," she laughed, somewhat nervously, and took a seat on a stool, waiting. How was she supposed to get into his office? It was always locked, and unless he invited a student in, he kept it relatively secure.  
After a few moments, her portly teacher returned from the cupboard, looking rather unkempt. He swept his thin black hair over the bald spot on the top of his head and smiled, "Well, what can I do for you?"  
Elodie paused for a moment, trying to think of something that would involve the pair of them going into his office, "I... I was h-hoping we could discuss it in your office... It's a p-private matter."

He seemed shocked for a moment, then frowned, "A private matter? What sort of matter?"  
"I j-just don't want people walking in h-here and ..." she trailed off, her mind racing for something to say, "And taking you away! You're a v-very popular professor, and it's hard to get time with you!"  
Flattery had always worked with the Head of Slytherin, and the man grinned, "Well... I suppose I am rather popular."  
She giggled and he motioned for her to follow him in, then take a seat on a rather ratty chair in front of his desk. She watched him settle down onto his leather chair behind his desk, then smile, "Well, what is it?"  
Elodie looked at her hands, trying to seem shy, but really hoping to buy some time with a lie. Finally, she cleared her throat, "I... I don't know what to do after Hogwarts!"  
He raised his eyebrows and she let out a forced cry, "I spoke with Dumbledore today, and he thinks I should work for the Ministry, but I'm really not that good, and I don't know what to do! What can I be? I know we went over this in fifth year, but I wasn't ready then! And I still don't know!"

Inwardly, she was shocked. She hadn't stuttered once through that entire speech, and she instantly wanted to swell with pride. It took a lot to keep herself from smiling.

"Oh, come now, Ms. Greensworth," Slughorn chuckled gently, smiling, "I think you have grades high enough to do anything you wished! I have the file to prove it... Would you like to see what some examiners wrote for you?"  
She licked her lips, "Y-Yes, sir."  
And it was back. Slughorn rose, "It's in the filing cupboard in the classroom... Two seconds."

Her heart picked up the pace as he swept out of the room, and she was instantly on her feet, scuffling around his desk and ripping open the top drawer.

There it was. Right on top of a pile of papers, Inconcessus Veneficium. Forbidden Magic. What did Tom want with such a ratty, torn old book? She wasted no time in wondering, and stuffed the small, yet thick novel into her cloak, then moved quickly out of the room.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry," she called, watching Slughorn turn around from his hunched over position by the files, "I j-just remembered I need to take a History of Magic test that I missed... Do you mind...?"  
"Come back later, then," he invited, slamming the file drawer shut, "I'm sure you have what you need, anyway."  
Elodie frowned for a moment, and he turned away, retreating into his storage cupboard. Did he know?

*-

Tom studied Elodie as she hurried off toward the dungeons, shuffling through crowds of people.  
Oh, it was just too good! She barely put up an outward fight. He could sense she was losing some trust in him, but that didn't matter, for now. Now, all he wanted was that damn book.

_Patience is a virtue, Tom, patience is a virtue._

_  
_Yes, yes it was. Patience was something he had learned to master.

"Mr. Riddle? A moment, please?"

Tom cringed. That irritating, deep voice which belonged to none other then Albus Dumbledore made him want to vomit on the spot. What did the old fool want with him now? He hadn't done anything!  
"Actually, if you don't mind, _sir_," Tom spat mockingly, turning to face the man, "But I do have a class I need to get to."  
"You have a fifteen minute break," Dumbledore chuckled, calmly folding his hands in front of him as the last few students trickled out of the hall and off to their next classes.

_Curse him, Tom, curse him!_

He couldn't. Not yet.

_Kill him, Tom, kill him._

_  
_He would, in time.

Tom raised an eyebrow, "This must be important... It's not everyday you wander up here to see me."  
"Well, I wanted to catch you," Dumbledore admitted, his eyes twinkling slightly, "Ms. Greensworth tells me you are dating."  
"I don't see how it's any of your business," Tom ground, glaring at the man and his hands tightening on the book he was holding, "But yes, yes we are."  
"Funny how you've never given her any of your precious time before," Dumbledore mused, his eyes narrowing only slightly, "But she seems quite happy."  
"Of course she's happy," Tom snapped, "We're fine. She's a beautiful, charismatic, and exceedingly intelligent girl."  
"Sometimes too intelligent," Dumbledore murmured softly, and Tom had been forced to lean in to hear him. The boy frowned, "Are we finished, sir?"

"Yes, but a word of caution, Tom," Dumbledore said firmly, "Any mistreatment of Elodie will have consequences of it's own nature."  
Tom glared as Dumbledore began to walk off, humming something under his breath. With a sneer, Tom called, "Is that a threat, sir?"  
"Of course not," Dumbledore replied calmly, a small smile on his lips, "Merely a precaution. Good day, Mr. Riddle."


	7. Evil

"I have it," Elodie whispered as Tom greeted her that evening in front of his room. She had not seen him the rest of that day, and when he missed two classes that they normally shared, she began to get worried. However, Adrian told her Tom spent the day in the hospital when he slipped on a stair, twisting his ankle.

"Let me see," he ordered greedily, his eyes glimmering when she pulled the book out of her cloak. He snatched it away and tossed it into his room through the open door, "Did you read any of it?"  
"No-"  
"Good... Now there is one more thing I need you to do for me," he murmured, cupping her cheek. She smiled and leaned into his hand, "Yes?"  
"I need you to leave me alone."

The bluntness of the statement shocked her, and for a moment, she couldn't breathe.

"W-What?"

"I need some time alone, just to work out some things," he explained, somewhat coldly, his grasp tightening on her cheek, "You understand, don't you Elodie?"  
"N-No... Not really," she answered honestly, pulling his hand off, "Are you... b-breaking up with me?"  
"No," he replied simply, "You distract me, and I need to concentrate."  
"On what?"  
"Something that involves that precious book you fetched me," he chuckled, kissing her cheek, "You did well, kitten. Now go... I have a lot to do."  
"Am I not allowed to see you?" she whispered, gazing up into his eyes and fearing the worst. His lips tightened, then relaxed, "Leave me alone until I ask for you."

He stepped back into his room, shutting the door loudly behind him. Her lip began to quiver, "Tom..."

She stood outside his door for what seemed like hours. Had she done something wrong? Why was he sending her away?  
Tears began to flood down her cheeks, and the darkness of the hallway was closing in on her. Why didn't he want her anymore?!  
Releasing a sob, she ran.  
She ran through the nearly empty Common Room, not caring that Adrian and Julian watched her leave, knowing looks on their faces. She ran as her heart began to break. She ran for the sake of it all. She ran for the hurt.  
When she returned to reality, she realized she had run to Dumbledore's office, but she just couldn't bring herself to going inside. She stood there for a few minutes, staring hard at the wooden door. Why had her feet brought her here?

"Elodie?"

She flinched, and turned toward the voice, only to spot Edward Potter making his way along the halls. She must have looked a complete mess and she wiped the tears off her pale skin, hoping it wouldn't look as if she had been crying.

"What are you d-doing out here?" she asked quickly, trying to catch him off guard. He shrugged, "Prefect Duty... It's my shift... Why are you here? It's after curfew."  
"I..."

Her brain was so befuddled she couldn't think of a single thing to say, and instead, to her horror, she burst out into tears once again.  
He would run away. No one really took the time to worry about her. It hadn't been the first time she had cried over her lengthy stay at Hogwarts. Before, whenever someone saw her cry, they would wrinkle their nose and walk off quickly in the other direction.

"Oh... Don't... uh... cry," Edward stammered, hurrying over to her and conjuring up a tissue. Elodie gingerly accepted it, then blew her nose loudly, waiting for him to sneak off. However, he stayed behind. With a bit of a curious look, she hiccupped softly and frowned, "You don't have to be charitable... I d-don't mind if you leave."  
"That'd be rude," he stated, his eyebrows knitting together, "Anyone who left a girl crying apparently has no heart... Want something to drink?"  
"We can't get anything," she murmured, still surprised he wanted to stay, "The kitchens are closed."  
Edward grinned and grabbed her hand, "I can show you a way... But you have to keep it secret."

Who would she tell? Tom, her only companion, had just told her to leave him be. The very thought of it all renewed her tears, and Edward had to conjure up a box of tissues for her to use.

"So you ready to tell me what happened?" Edward pressed gently, returning from the kitchens with a plate full of small cakes and two mugs of steaming liquid. Elodie noted it was hot chocolate and sighed somewhat happily; she despised tea and coffee.  
He set everything down on the Ravenclaw table, the closet table to the kitchens in the Great Hall. They only used wand light to see where they were going, and Elodie sat down timidly next to him, reaching for a mug in silence. He was very patient with her, allowing them to eat without saying a word for nearly ten minutes. Elodie's sniffs were the only sounds in the empty, dark hall.

"Did something happen with you and Tom?" he asked finally, causing her to whimper once more and release the flood gates, tears streaming down her face. He hastily made some more tissues, "Sorry, sorry, sorry... I'm guessing something happened then?"  
"He says he wants me to leave him alone," she managed with a sob, "But we aren't breaking up... He just wants to be away from me."  
"You know..." Edward mused, "You can also break up with him. He doesn't have to be the one doing it."  
She shrugged and stared down into her hot chocolate, "I don't want to break up with him... He's so perfect."  
"Well, if he made you cry that much, obviously he isn't," Edward argued, "If he hurts you like that... Why is it worth it?"

Elodie hated herself for only thinking of one answer; because it was Tom.

"Thank you for this," she whispered, standing up and igniting her wand, "But I need to get back."  
"You don't have to go-"  
"Night, Edward," she muttered sadly, sending him a dismal smile before returning to her dormitory for the night.

Elodie sat at the Slytherin table the next morning, dreading the fact that she wasn't 'allowed' to see her Tom. Most of the night she lay awake in bed, wondering why he had asked her to go. Did she do anything to bother him? Didn't he think she was pretty anymore?  
When he walked into the hall, Adrian and Julian following closely, he did not even cast a look in her direction. She watched him for a moment, then gazed down at her food, hoping her tears wouldn't show. There was that one sliver of hope that he would sit next to her, like he did every morning, and apologize. That dream was ripped to shreds as he walked arrogantly past her, ignoring her completely. It was as if everything was back to how it used to be. Elodie sat at the end of the table, and Tom sat with his friends, far away from her, laughing and talking.

Why did he do this? What had she done?!  
The mail owls landed noisily in the Great Hall, and Elodie was agast when her owl dropped a letter at her side. Frowning, she ripped it open and scanned it quickly.

_Dearest Elodie,  
At first your father and I were upset about not seeing you this year for the holidays, but you seem to have a good reason for staying.  
Your father and I are flying to the Caribbean for a cruise! Exciting!  
This boy sounds wonderful. Keep him.  
Love,  
Mother and Father.  
_  
Tears rolled down from her eyes freely and she crumpled the letter up.

*-

"Won't people notice you aren't... around her, anymore?" Adrian inquired as Tom helped himself to some bacon. Tom laughed, "So?"  
"So... That's not a good thing... She's quite attractive now," Julian commented, shooting Elodie a glance, "Other blokes will try and move in on her."  
"She's completely smitten with me," Tom reassured them, rolling his eyes, "She'd turn them all away."

_An infatuation, Tom, an infatuation._

That's what it was. She was obsessed with him, and he knew. That was what made it so perfect.

"She seemed pretty upset about it," Adrian commented delicately, buttering his toast, "What if she won't come back?"  
"Oh, she will," Tom snorted, "The moment I speak to her she'll be jumping for joy inside. All I need now is the perfect time."

Tom was forced to duck as a rather scrawny owl barely missed the top of his head, and once again, the hall was filled with noisy owls delivering the mail. He cocked an eyebrow when he noticed it was Elodie whom the owl belonged to, and he watched her read the letter, her bottom lip quivering and a few tears slipping out as she did. She crumpled the paper up and tossed it aside, resting her head on her hand as she poked at her meager set of eggs.

Who would write to her?

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed sharply as Potter made his way over to the Slytherin table, crouching down beside Elodie and rubbing her back.

"I'm not going to say I told you so..." Julian muttered, pointing his fork at the pair, "But that Potter has had his eye on her for a while now."  
"Shallow idiot," Tom grumbled, watching grimly as Elodie rose and walked out of the hall, leaving Edward kneeling beside the bench. He slowly pushed himself up, and turned to Tom, sending him a vile look.

Tom wanted to laugh.

_Too hasty with her, Tom, too hasty with her._

Perhaps he should have waited some time before sending Elodie away from him. She would be alone for two months now, and hateful feelings could harbour during that time. Along with hateful ones, new attachments could begin if that stupid Potter wouldn't leave her alone.

_Fight to keep her, Tom, fight to keep her._

Oh he would. Potter wouldn't know what hit him.

He grinned evilly.


	8. Potter

It had been two weeks since Edward watched Elodie break down in front of Dumbledore's office, and it had been two weeks of absolute misery for the poor girl.

Although she was a Slytherin, he could not help but pity her, and even try desperately to bring her into his life as a friend. His companions were eager for her to join them, since they always had trust in Edward's judgment of people. However, every time he tried to speak with her, comfort her, she would push him away. It seemed she seeked to be alone, but he would not give up on her.

Seeing her at the table in the library so many weeks ago was not the first time he had noticed Elodie Greensworth. Ever since first year, she was always quick to answer questions, or ask what the rest of the class was too shy, or too lazy, to ask. There had been times he wished to speak to her, but there was always that barrier between houses that kept them apart.

But now he saw she was nothing like the rest of them, and he began to wonder why the hat had even put her in Slytherin. Perhaps it was feeling cruel when it came to Elodie.  
Edward sat next to her in her Potions class, since no one would if he did not. Tom Riddle was there also, but he was at the other side of the room. The Gryffindor had met eyes with the snake as he entered the room, and Edward could feel the hate radiating off Tom. Enjoying that look, he chatted with Elodie as they both worked on their potions during class. Her responses were meek and somewhat strained, but after some time she stopped glancing over at Tom and continued speaking with Edward freely.

Slughorn assigned the usual amount of homework, and once the students had brought up a sample of their potions, they were dismissed.

"Elodie," he called as she hurried toward the door. He supposed she did not want to be in a room with Tom Riddle if he did not want her there. It would explain her hasty retreat from most classes the three shared.  
"Do you want to come with us to Hogsmeade this weekend?" he asked, motioning back to his friends, who smiled at her, "They've got a few shops open... May be fun."

Her eyes traveled over to Tom, and Edward mimicked them, noting the Slytherin had been watching their conversation.

Elodie smiled weakly and shook her head, "Thanks... But I have o-other plans."

She turned away from him and quickly hurried out of the room, her feet barely making a sound. His eyes landed on Tom and the boy shot him a smug look, then strolled out of the room, his 'friends' following at his heels.

Growling, Edward slung his bag over his shoulder and rushed out after Tom, ignoring his friends protests, "What's your problem, Riddle?!"  
Tom froze and whirled around to face him, a lazy smirk on his lips, "My problem? Nothing until you decided to honour my presence with this lively discussion."  
His friends snorted loudly and Edward's eyes narrowed, "You know what I mean."  
"Do I?" Tom chuckled, raising an eyebrow, "To be honest, I really don't. Enlighten me."  
"How can you just push her aside like she's dirt?" Edward snarled, barely noticing as his friends crowded behind him, each ready to jump in and defend him, if necessary. They knew Tom was a cheat when it came to dueling.

"I haven't done anything wrong," Tom sneered, rolling his eyes, "Perhaps I merely need time alone? It's none of your business what I do with Elodie, _Potter_."  
"It is when she comes to me crying, wondering why her 'perfect' Tom would just push her away," Edward hissed. He had hoped to hit a nerve at the mention of Elodie crying, but not even a flicker of emotion passed through Tom's eyes, except amusement. Tom took a step toward Edward, his wand hanging loosely in his hand, "And what do you do, Potter? Comfort her? Hope that one day she'll come to you forever?" Tom snorted, "You're pathetic, Potter, watching something that you know you'll never have."  
"I'm watching someone who is suffering because of you!" Edward growled, "Don't you have any feelings at all?!"  
"I don't need to explain myself to you of all people," Tom spat, "But mark my words, Potter... You stay away from Elodie, or you won't live to hold her while she cries."  
"Another empty threat, Riddle?" Edward hissed, rolling his eyes. Tom smiled, his eyes gleaming, showing a hidden maniac, and he took another step toward the Gryffindor, "Try and find out, Potter."


	9. Half complete

It was Christmas holidays, and Elodie kept wishing her parents would cancel their cruise and let her come home. However, come Christmas Day, her present arrived; a shell necklace from the Bahamas.  
Nearly her entire house had gone home for the holiday. It was only her, Tom and a few first years sitting at the Slytherin Table for the feast, and Elodie found it heart wrenching when he still refused to look at her.

Edward and his Gryffindor friends had also gone home, and she felt utterly alone as she watched countless numbers of friends celebrate the joyous occasion with laughter, and sometimes a drunken song here and there.

Even in the dark Slytherin Common Room, she could still hear them all hooting and dancing. She hugged her knees close to her chest, staring into the green fire as it roared within its confides, almost begging to be set free on anything flammable.

A soft 'whoosh' echoed in her ear, and when she looked back, she once again gazed at an empty room. However, on the tiny, glass table in front of the couch, sat a note. Frowning, she picked it up, hesitating to open it. There were dangerous things at Hogwarts, and they could find anyone's weakness from any hidden place. With a sigh, she realized it didn't matter if something got her, and opened the small parchment.

_Come to me, kitten. I miss you._

Her heart skipped a beat and a genuine smile spread across her lips. Her Tom wanted to see her! And he had missed her!  
She nearly tripped over her feet as she scrambled off the couch, looking in the mirror suddenly and stopping. She looked horrible. In a bulky old sweater her grandmother had knitted her, and one of her thick, knee-length skirts. Beneath the sweater was a white tank-top, one which she dare not wear in public. It was far to revealing. But this was for her Tom. In an instant, she chucked the sweater off and made her way down the hall, stopping at the door that divided her and Tom. Did he want her to knock? Or just enter? What if she had just imagined the note, and he really did not want to see her?

"Marvolo," she whispered, remembering the password as if it were her own name. The locks began to clatter and clank loudly, and the door opened ever so slightly, a shade of soft light slipping out.

After waiting nearly a minute, she gently pushed open the door, sliding inside, "T-Tom?"  
The room was empty, from what she saw. Everything was much more of a mess then it had been before. There were clothes lying on the floor, books flung across the room, and papers nearly flooding over his desk. Curiosity finally got the better of her, and she walked over to his desk, shuffling through the papers. There were many Latin inscriptions, some with Tom's neat handwriting beside it, others lacking. The book she had taken from Slughorn nearly two months ago looked more worn then it had. She ran her finger along the cover, then opened the book to the page that had been folded over and frowned, her eyes skimming the text.

**... The purpose of a Horcrux is to protect the given bit of soul from anything that might happen to the body of the person to whom the soul belongs. While the Horcrux is kept safe, the person will continue to exist even if his or her body is damaged or destroyed.**

Elodie's eyes widened as she noticed the small check-marks beside the _Steps to Completing Your First Horcrux_ and her jaw dropped; had he done this?

"Naughty little kitten," Tom chided, slamming the door behind him and locking it, causing her to jump, "Has she been reading things she shouldn't?"  
Elodie whipped around, taking in Tom's appearance for the first time up close. His eyes had small bags under them, and looked extremely tired. His skin was much paler then she remembered, and his shoulders sagged ever so slightly.  
"Tom..." she gasped, her eyes traveling over him several times, "D-Did you do this... The Horcrux?"  
"Hello to you too, kitten," he purred, sauntering towards her, not stopping until he had her backed up against the desk, his body pressed up to hers, "Did you miss me?"  
"Tom, please," she grunted, trying to push his hands off as they wandered up to her chest, "D-D-Did you make one?"  
"I have a Christmas present for you," he laughed, releasing her and planting a kiss on her cheek, "Do you want it now?"

He swept across the room, pulling a tiny box out of his dresser, "I'm sure you'll like it, kitten."  
Did he not remember he had pushed her away for the past two months? Ignored her? Hurt her?  
"Tom?" she whispered, "What are you doing?"

"It took me all of the two months, but I did it," he stated, thrusting the box into her hand, "It was very difficult, but I quite like it. I'm sure you will too."  
She pulled the box open, her jaw dropping when her eyes spied a small, gold ring. There were no inscriptions, no precious stones, nothing. It was simple, but it was lovely.

"Do you like it?" he pressed, taking it out of the box and slipping it on her finger. Her stomach squirmed and she grinned, "Oh... Tom... I... This still d-doesn't explain why you didn't want to see me! Did I do something wrong?"  
"You did everything perfect, kitten," he cooed, tossing the empty both onto his desk and hoisting her up, "I needed time to make the ring for you..."

"But-"

"If we were still around each other, I think I would have focused more on you," he stated, dropping her crudely on his bed and grinning, "But now I can have you all to myself again."  
She propped herself up on her elbows, raising an eyebrow as he kneeled in front of her on the floor, removing her shoes with utter slowness.

"Tom..." she murmured, inhaling sharply as his lips gently touched her ankle, slowly kissing up her leg. She bit her lip and tenderly pushed him away, crawling further onto the bed and gazing into his eyes. Lust more then anything clouded over them, and within a second, he had hopped up on the bed, slowly making his way toward her. She gulped as he slid up her body, bringing his lips to her neck, and resting his arms on either side of her, keeping his weight off her body.

"Tom, I want to t-talk," she stammered, gasping as he bit down on her neck. He pulled away and stared at her, his eyes taunting her, "And I want to kiss you... Let's give me what I want first, then we'll talk."

She licked her lips and shut her eyes as he leaned down, his long fingers delicately running along her chin. His lips were cold, nothing like she had expected, and rough, forcing hers apart before she could comprehend what to do. She tried to remember what she had heard the girls in her dorm room gossiping about when they talked about kissing. However, her mind was completely blank, and all she could do was move her tongue against his as it explored her mouth. Timidly, she brushed her finger tips against his hair, and to her shock, his hand grabbed hers and forced her fingers farther up, weaving them between dark locks.  
He pulled away finally, both panting, and he pulled her hands away from his hair, then sat up and put them at the buttons of his shirt. He cocked an eyebrow, and she assumed he wanted her to undo the white buttons, so she complied, sitting up and undoing each with shaky fingers. He pushed it off as she undid the last button, then threw it aside, his hips pressing firmly into hers, "Your turn."

Her eyes widened and she wiggled awkwardly beneath him, sitting up on her elbows. His hands slid beneath her shirt and pulled it up and over her head. His hand were freezing, like his lips, and she repressed a shudder.

Her cheeks coloured as his eyes stole away her innocence, sweeping across her body with delight. He roughly undid the clasp of her brassiere and stifled her protests with his mouth, tossing the undergarment away and running his hands over her bare skin, causing her to squeal as he cupped her bare breasts.

No. She wouldn't. Her mind kept reminding her of what he had gone to her for the past two months, and she shoved him away, marveling at her strength.  
"Tom... You can't just do this... We..."  
"Shh, kitten," he purred, his lips running down her jaw, then her neck, then her chest, his teeth grazing her here and there.  
Her hands lay limp at her side, not quite sure what she should be doing with them. In an instant, Tom had ripped the wooly skirt down to her ankles, and she gingerly pushed it off, the piece of clothing landing on the floor in a heap. Elodie shut her eyes, embarrassed with herself, and only when she reopened them did she see Tom and removed the rest of their clothing.

"I... I haven't... done...." she stammered, her hands suddenly trying to cover herself up the best she could. Tom grinned and said nothing, grasping her wrists and placing them up beside her head, tsking her, "Doesn't mean you need to be covered up."  
He pressed himself against her, and she let out a startled gasp; he was very hard, something she had not expected, causing his grin to widen. His hand ran down her body, stopping finally between her thighs, dipping a finger inside, "My, eager, are we?"

"Tom," she whimpered, her eyes widening as he pressed further into her, his thumb rubbing over a sensitive spot. Waves of pleasure rolled up through her stomach, and she moaned softly. Tom gently placed a kiss on her lips, "This may hurt, kitten."

*-

Tom positioned himself over her, then plunged into her, ripping a loud cry from her lips. Oh, Gods, it was Heaven. She was so incredibly tight he nearly lost everything right then and there.

_Pleasure for pain, Tom, pleasure for pain._

He glanced down at Elodie and noticed tears had rolled down her flushed cheeks, her eyes wide and her breathing uneven. She looked positively delicious.  
He ran his tongue along her neck, almost tasting the fear and discomfort, causing his muscles to twitch with pleasure.

"You ok, kitten?" he grunted, feeling her nether muscles stretch to accommodate him. He smirked and tried to send her to most caring look he could muster, and she nodded. Her hands were in fists beside her head, and her mouth opened and closed several times, as if she was trying to get something out. Tom waited, then pulled out a little, only to embed himself deeper in her this time, another squeak of pain escaping her lips.

It was intoxicating, her helpless state.

With a slight growl, he began moving, his pace quickening with the passing moments. She whimpered weakly and her hands drifted up to his head, curling in his hair and yanking whenever he ground his hips over her clit.

_Who has control, Tom, who has control?_

_  
_He frowned and grabbing her wrists tightly, pushing them back down to the bed and holding them there, his breathing quickening. Elodie moaned his name softly, and he slammed his lips into hers, plundering her mouth greedily. The whole experience was better then he had expected; she was just so submissive.

It was her first time, perhaps she would get better in the future. But, he needed to enjoy everything now, since he knew he wouldn't be able to do this for a long, long time.

"Tom!" she moaned, breaking away and biting her lower lip. She was close. He reached down and began to play with the sensitive bud between her legs, and as his mouth closed around a nipple, she moaned loudly, her back arching off the bed. He smiled, then bit down, thrusting into her much more roughly then before. She gasped and he felt all her muscles tighten and her body shudder beneath him. Now that _that_ was out of the way, Tom took her harshly, pounding into her as she tried to recover from her climax. His fingers dug cruelly into her wrists as he reached his peak, spilling himself completely into her. His arms gave way, and he collapsed onto her body, content.

_The ring, Tom, the ring._

_  
_Ah yes, she was wearing it. A little bit of him, it seemed, was going to be with her forever. She was going to keep him alive, if all else failed. And if she continued to be this submissive in bed, he would just have to keep her, for his own pleasurable uses.

"Tom?" she whispered, stroking his head affectionately, "This ring... Is it-"  
"A promise ring, kitten," he mumbled into her chest, the lie rolling off his tongue easily, "I told you this Christmas would be one to remember. Do you accept me, kitten?"

Before she could answer, he had maneuvered them around so they were both under the covers of his small bed. She shifted beside him, then placed her head on his shoulder, her hands trailing up and down his chest.

It felt so good...

He closed his eyes, enjoying her touch. She sighed happily and reached for her wand, her finger tips leaving his skin. He grumbled in protest and flinched when she muttered a cleaning spell over the pair of them. It was more comfortable that way, and he pulled her back against him, snatching up her hand and placing it on her chest, silently demanding she continue. Elodie giggled and ran the tips of her nails along his skin, causing him to shiver in delight.

"Kitten," he mumbled, his eyes closing happily, "I know we've been apart for a long time... But it needs to happen again."  
The delicate shapes drawn against his skin stopped, and he growled, opening his eyes to glare at her. She pushed herself up on her elbow, "What do you mean it needs to happen again?"  
"I worked hard, but not hard enough," he ground, irritated that she had stopped, "And I need time to work more things out. What, is there a problem with that?"

He shut his eyes once more, and to his surprise, Elodie rolled out of the bed, then scrambled around the room, pulling on her skirt and sweater. He frowned and sat up, "Where are you going?"  
"I d-don't believe you, Tom Riddle!" she snarled, her voice slightly high-pitched, "All this time I couldn't wait to be back with you... And now, what? You p-push me away again! No! I'm not doing it again."

It was a nice little rant, and she had only stuttered twice. Not bad. But why was she leaving? He had not expected this.

"Elodie," he growled, rolling his eyes, "Come back to bed."  
"No," she shrieked, pointing her wand at the door and unlocking it, then storming out, a tear slipping down her cheek.

_Stupid boy, Tom, stupid boy._

"Why?!" he demanded, glaring up at his head.

_Need her, Tom, need her._

"I most certainly do **not**."

_Smart girl, Tom, smart girl._

_  
_Yes... well...

_Good for pleasure, Tom, good for pleasure._

_  
_That too.

_Need her, Tom, NEED HER!_

The voice nearly caused his head to explode, and he hurried out of bed, pulling on his pants and rushing out after her. He caught sight of her scurrying up the staircase to the girls dormitory, and he picked up his speed, stopping at the bottom. By the time he had arrived, she was completely out of sight. He groaned, "Elodie!"

Silence.

"Elodie, come back!"

"Go away, Tom." Her voice shook, and he heard a door slam. Gritting his teeth, he took three steps up the stairs, then to his horror, they turned into a ramp, and he tumbled back down.  
"Stupid boy," the portrait of Salazar Slytherin commented from above the fireplace, "No boys in the girls room. Go back to bed."  
He snarled at the painting and stalked back to his room. He began to worry if she would come back to him or not. He still needed her. At least half of his plan had been completed.


	10. Wait

She would look different from now on. Tom had changed her. He made her to how he wanted her to be. No more.

With a sigh, she realized the only way to hide her large curls was to braid her hair. Over the last two days of the holiday, she learned how to do it. It was easy braiding string together, but a lot more difficult when it came to her real hair.

The next thing she fixed was her uniform. After searching through a few of her textbooks, she found a simple spell that undid whatever had been done to the uniform. Her shirt was made larger, and her skirt longer; everything was back to normal.

She had managed to avoid Tom, though she could tell he was actually looking for her this time. He even followed her when she tried to ditch him after a dinner one evening, and she was forced to hide behind a statue for nearly twenty minutes, at that point she was forced to leave by Peeves the poltergeist, who began throwing bits of chalk at her.

It was a new term, which meant Elodie could finally push past Tom. She still kept his ring on a small chain around her neck; she wasn't completely over him. It was hard to go from being completely obsessed with someone to ignoring them within the same week. Hopefully she could get help from someone. Dumbledore. Edward. Anyone.

Denise and the other girls made polite conversation with her when they returned, and when they asked about Tom, she found it difficult not to cry. She still cared about him, but she didn't want to. It was so terribly confusing.

Her first breakfast in the Great Hall proved no different then the last hundred. She made sure to sit in her usual spot, away from everyone else, and began eating, somewhat content to be on her own. Her eyes drifted over to Tom as he hurried into the hall, his own eyes landing on her in an instant. Oh, she wanted him to sit with her again. She wanted to kiss him again. She loved how he kissed...

No. She had made up her mind. Her life would not ever involve Tom Riddle again.

Julian and Adrian sat a few metres away, while Tom slid onto the bench next to her. She shot him a glare, then shuffled down, dragging her plate with her. Tom sighed, "Elodie, kitten, please talk to me."  
She shook her head childishly and scooped some eggs into her mouth, staring pointedly at the table. His hand gently ran down her back, "Please? I'm sorry-"  
"Don't g-give me any more of that," she snapped, throwing her fork down and picking up her bag, flinging it over her shoulder. The thick sac nearly hit him in the face, but he ducked just in time, "You're horrible, Tom Riddle, you know that?!"  
With that, she stormed out of the hall, bumping into Edward as he made his way in. He smiled, "Elodie! How was your holiday?"

To her surprise, he actually hugged her, and she welcomed the affection. She smiled over his shoulder at his friends, who grinned back. With a sigh, she whispered in his ear, "I... Well... It wasn't the best, to be honest."

"What did he do now?" Edward groaned, waving his friends off and walking with her down the hallway. Elodie picked at her nails for a moment, then looked up at him. His eyes were blue, bright blue, and looked quite well with his head of black hair. It was the first time she had ever noticed it.  
He raised an eyebrow, "Elodie?"

"Oh," she mumbled, flushing, "Right. Well... He asked me to come see him, said he missed me."  
"Ah. How... nice," he grunted, his eyes completely betraying the words. Elodie smiled weakly, "Yes, well... It wasn't nice. We sort of... You know..." her cheeks reddened and his eyes widened, "And afterward he told me we couldn't see each other anymore, since he was going to be busy or s-something like that."  
She brushed away a frustrated tear and groaned, "I just picked up my stuff and left, and I haven't talked to him since. Stupid b-bastard."

Somehow she couldn't believe she was talking about Tom like that. Her Tom.  
Not anymore. She couldn't.

"I'm proud of you," he stated earnestly, smiling, "He deserves whatever you say to him."  
"Oh stop sucking up to her, Potter," Tom spat, strolling down the hall towards the pair, "Please, it's sickening, and I just ate."  
"The sight of _you_ first thing in the morning is sickening enough, thank you very much," Edward sneered, glaring at him. Tom rolled his eyes, "Oh very clever. Really... I almost didn't see it coming. Elodie, kitten, come sit with me. We should talk."  
"No," Elodie protested weakly, her eyes narrowing, "I d-don't want to be around you."  
"Rightly said," Edward muttered.  
"_Shut up_, Potter," Tom snarled, drawing out his wand. Elodie stepped in front of the Gryffindor, "D-Don't you dare, Tom... Just go back and eat. Pretend like it's a normal day and you i-ignore me."  
She turned back to Edward, "Are you all still going to Hogsemeade?"  
He smirked, "Every weekend... Much more fun than studying."

"Meet me b-before you leave then," she babbled, sending him a quick smile before hurrying off to Divination.

*-

Tom seethed at Elodie's back as she scurried down the hall. No one says no to Tom Riddle. No one. No matter how easy they are. No matter how smart they are. No matter how good looking they are.  
His eyes widened at the last reason; good looking? Oh, Gods, he was actually starting to fancy the damn girl!

"Stay away from her, Potter, I'm warning you one last time," he hissed, shooting a hex at Edward before stalking back to the Great Hall, sitting down across from Adrian and Julian with an irritated growl.  
"She got away then?" Julian mused. Tom glared, "Thank you for stating the obvious."

_An idiot, Tom, an idiot._

_  
_Of course he is.

Tom ground his teeth together, "I don't know who she thinks she is! She's not important enough to turn me away!"  
"Maybe she just needs time," Adrian commented, pouring himself a glass of milk, "Perhaps to let off some steam. Did she still have the ring?"

Tom grinned; she wasn't over him yet. He had spotted a little chain hanging over her shirt collar, and he knew his ring was attached to it. He swelled proudly, "Yes, the silly little chit still has it. Around her neck on a chain... Perhaps she'll come back to me yet."  
Adrian and Julian exchanged looks and Adrian shrugged, "She is a girl though, Lord, and they can be fickle."  
"Yes, yes they can."

Tom smirked; hearing the word 'Lord' used to address him brightened his morning considerably.  
Over the past two months, he had been working with many of his house mates, both of his age and younger, to form a secret society. All were Pureblooded, and each stood behind his belief that Muggles no longer deserved to stink up their air. The Ministry of Magic was letting the ignorant fools get away with too much; Mudbloods and Squibs... What next?! Muggles strolling down Diagon Alley without a care in the world?!

No, someone needed to stop all this filth. It was ruining the lines of so many pure families. While Tom himself was not pure, it only drove on his hate for the non-magical folk who lived on the borders of wizarding civilization.

He had had the first meeting in November, just to see how many were interested. To his shock, people turned up from outside of school, mainly older, well dressed men. When they saw they had come to a meeting hosted by a mere boy of seventeen, they laughed, but he made them silent. He dazzled the wizards with his powerful knowledge of the Dark Arts, a field he prided himself in. One man was exceptionally arrogant, and he made him writher in the middle of a jeering crowd under the Cruciatus Curse.

Another meeting happened the following week; more members turned up. They asked what they should called him, and he answered with the name he had fashioned out of his own; Voldemort.

He led them on a raid, moving through a local Muggle town near Hogwarts and torturing the inhabitants during the vacation. When he was finished, many of the men bowed at his feet, inquiring he share his power with them. Of course, they were punished for asking such a stupid question. His power was his alone. However, he did share a few more dangerous spells with his friends, bringing them closer to him then the outsiders who did not attend Hogwarts.  
It all happened so fast, but he wanted it to. He wanted to have his band of men once he was free from the confinements of Hogwarts.

Throughout the entire time, he had made two horcruxes. One, a diary from his sixth year at Hogwarts, when he found out he was the true heir of the great Salazar Slytherin, and could control the Basilisk, sending it to prey on the schools Mudbloods. That plan did not prove as successful as he had hoped, but he kept a record of his daily events in a diary. Hopefully, it would prove useful.

The second was the ring he gave to Elodie. She cared for him too much to throw it aside, and would treasure it, keep it safe for generations, prolonging his life.  
His task with the girl was not over yet. No. Soon, when she had come back to him, he would take her to a meeting, introduce her to other people like him, and make her like them. Make her serve him. The wizards who flocked to him were bloodlusting, rich wizards, a few who were already giving him offers to fund whatever he needed. However, their intelligence did not come close to his, while Elodie's did. He needed someone smart working alongside him.  
For now, all he could do was wait.


	11. Pity

The school year, Elodie found, went on much faster when she had friends to share it with. Once she had finally told off Tom, she decided she no longer cared what her house thought of her, she was already a joke, and went to Edward and his Gryffindor friends. They really portrayed the image of true friends. On weekends they walked to the little village, which was slowly becoming complete over the passing months. Their favourite shop was Zonkos, which was originally from a pair of American Wizards who found it their goal in life to prank British aristocrats. Elodie was even invited into the Gryffindor Common Room, where she spent many evenings with her new friends working on homework, since the teachers were officially going overboard.

She and Edward had grown very close over the past several months, and in the warm month of May, the pair went for many walks by the lake when they were sick of doing assignments.  
Tom stopped her once a week in the hall, usually when no one else was around, and he would ask how she was doing. Her answers were always minimal and restrained, and she knew he could feel it, so he kept his questioning short. She often wondered why he still talked to her, or even cared. Sometimes he would ask if she was seeing anyone, and would probe into her plans for the week.

She still liked him, and she knew she always would. He was her first love, and getting over him was one of the hardest things she had yet to accomplish in life.

Her school grades were fitting together fine, as were her new friends. She had grown close to a boy named Hirman Weasley, a redheaded young man who was a year younger then her, and a total klutz. He was quite suave, but always managed to trip over something.

On a sunny, warm afternoon in the last week of May, it was finally time to have one of the last Quidditch games of the season; Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. A long awaited match, indeed. The Gryffindors were finally shaping up, even though their house was last when it came to points. Edward was the team's keeper, so Elodie had front row seats, with the rest of her large group, to watch the game. She had never attended the Quidditch games at Hogwarts, and only vaguely knew what the sport was about. Hirman, however, was a bit of a buff, and happily explained everything there was to know about the game as they waited for it to start.

"So, really, it just depends on the seeker in the end of all things, right?" Elodie inquired as she and Hirman took the last two seats in their row. She was wearing Edward's Gryffindor scarf, and she couldn't care less about the foul looks her housemates had sent her. She had gotten far too used to the glares to care anymore.  
"Right," Hirman agreed, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a large, orange GRYFFINDOR written in paint. Everything seemed so festive. He pointed to the teams as they whizzed out, "See Edward? He guards those big hoops, and makes sure the quaffle doesn't get in."

Elodie waved to Edward, as he flew around the arena with his team, and he sent her a flirty smirk back.

Something was going on. Something had _always_ been going on. She just wasn't sure what it was yet.

Elodie watched with awe as the Slytherin team burst out onto the arena, their flying much more powered then the laid-back Gryffindor style. Her eyes locked with Tom as he flew past and he quirked a grin, only causing Hirman to scowl.

"Tom and Ed aren't going to like each other any more then usual," he remarked, "Riddle is going to try and score with the quaffle, and Ed has to keep him from doing it."  
"Oh," Elodie whispered, suddenly admiring the way Tom held his broom, and shivering at the competitive air that vibrated off him.  
Hirman nudged her and she looked away, bringing her attention to Hooch; a Ravenclaw third year who knew more about the rules of the sport then anyone in the school. During the summers, it was rumoured, she traveled with the Irish team and worked on their training.  
Elodie's eyes instantly followed the large, red ball as it was shot up into the air, and she found she just couldn't look away. Tom snatched it out of the hands of Ian Kewrby, but it was knocked away by another chaser, and a Gryffindor sixth year zoomed across the pitch, hurling the quaffle at the hoop. However, it was blocked by the Slytherin Seeker, Julian, and the exciting game continued on.

"Gryffindor!!" Hirman shouted, waving his flag enthusiastically, "Come on! Fly! Fly!"

Elodie grinned. Perhaps she should have come to watch the games earlier. Girls weren't allowed to play, which gave any spectating girl a great view of the wonderfully "toned" players.  
She let out a scream, along with a few other girls, and ducked out of the way as Tom and Adrian pursued Kirk Henderson over the Gryffindor stand, Tom's broom coming a little too close to Elodie's head for her liking.

"Watch it!" Hirman shouted, ducking once again as the three rushed across the stands.  
The players finally got back onto the pitch, Adrian and Tom passing the quaffle back and forth between Gryffindor defenses, and Elodie bit her lip as Tom tossed the ball toward an empty hoop. Edward, however, managed to roll over on his broom and catch it, firing it back off to his chasers. Elodie couldn't help but let out a squeal of joy when Gryffindor scored the first goal against Slytherin.

Nearly an hour later, the two teams were neck and neck, but the snitch was nowhere to be seen. Either that, or the seekers just couldn't be bothered to find it.

"Why are they just sitting up there?" Elodie yelled over the cheers, pointing to the two seekers, "Don't they do anything?"  
"It's all a matter of patience!" Hirman shouted back, "It takes time to find a little golden ball that moves faster then the human eye."  
"Oh, right... Forgot," she muttered, her eyes traveling involuntarily to Tom. He was becoming more aggressive, and frustrated, as the game went on, and he nearly knocked Edward off his broom when the Gryffindor went in to block a certain shot.

One of the beaters, James Smith of Gryffindor, fired of bludger in Tom's direction, and Elodie's eyes widened as the heavy, fast flying ball slammed into Tom's ribs, sending him tumbling off his broom and to the grassy ground below.

"Tom..." she whispered, watching anxiously as the nurse and a few other teachers hurried down to retrieve him. The game carried on, however, and only the Slytherins were calling for a foul, while many of the Gryffindors were screaming for "Play on!" and such.

"Don't worry about the git," Hirman muttered, rolling his eyes, "Happens all the time... Everyone gets hurt in Quidditch."

Elodie nodded, trying hard to keep her focus on the rest of the game.

The Gryffindor team won after the seeker finally caught the snitch, but it did not put their house in the lead. They finally beat Hufflepuff, but Slytherin still came out the lead house. Elodie stayed in the Common Room to celebrate with the Gryffindors for an hour or so, then excused herself, saying she was very tired. As she was leaving, Edward gave her a peck on the lips, and she left with rosy red cheeks, covering them up with her hair as she walked through the halls.

Instead of returning to her house, she decided to check in on Tom, just to make sure he was feeling fine. She knew the nurse would be able to treat him, but she just wanted to make sure.  
"Madame?" she called, poking her head into the hospital wing. The nurse came out from behind a curtain, looking a little flustered, "What, girl?"  
"Is T-Tom here?" she stammered. Her eyes widened; it was the first time she had stuttered over a word in months.  
"He's in the back, but only a quick visit," the large woman hissed, vanishing behind the curtain to deal with another sick student.

Elodie walked quickly to the last shaded in bed in the wing, then pulled the curtain back, spotting Tom in his green Slytherin jersey, his eyes shut and his hands folded on his chest. His body seemed so limp on the white bed, yet he was pale, and slightly worn looking.

"Tom?" she whispered, stepping in and closing the curtain. He remained motionless, which she preferred as she slowly made her way toward him. He seemed so peaceful, and Elodie's stomach clenched as she pushed a piece of hair out of his face.  
After receiving no sort of reaction, she turned, deciding it was best to just call it a night.  
"You looked right at home with those Gryffindors," she heard him rasp as she went to pull back to curtain, "I almost wondered whether or not you were still my Slytherin... This proves you are."

She whipped back to face him and spotted the amused smirk on his face as he hoisted himself up into a sitting position, wincing a bit.  
"I just wanted to check on you," she spat, crossing her arms defensively, "And now I see you are fine."

"I'm sure there could be ways to make it better," he chuckled, "But I don't think darling Potter would like my lips all over his girlfriend."  
Elodie nearly melted under the intense gaze he sent her way, but she forced herself to ignore the look of lust, "Edward isn't my boyfriend."  
"That's only what the rumours are, kitten," he laughed, gently grasping his rib cage and inhaling slowly. Elodie shifted on her feet for a moment, silence settling over the pair, "What happened?"  
"A bludger hit me... Weren't you watching?" he drawled, "Or were your eyes trying to undress Potter?"  
"Don't be disgusting," she snapped, "And I know what happened... I mean... What ... broke?"  
"My ribs shattered thanks to the damn bludger," he grumbled, "And I have to drink this disgusting stuff to make them grow back."

Elodie sauntered over to his bedside table, picking up a small bottle of skelo-growth potion. She grinned, "Oh... I remember this. I had to drink it when I broke my wrist... Horrid stuff."  
"Now where, oh where, has my adorable stutter gone?" he murmured, his hand grabbing the back of her untucked shirt and yanking her into a sitting position beside him, "I haven't talked to you in a while."  
"Two weeks," she informed him. She grasped the chain that held his ring around her neck and began to fiddle with it, her new nervous habit.

Tom grinned, "Aw... Kitten, did you miss me?"  
"I _did_," she stated, trying to stand up, "But now I _don't_."

His fingers laced around her tie and dragged her back down, nearly pulling her on top of him. Her hands supported herself on either side of his body, trying not to land on his re-growing bones.

"Kitten," he purred, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers, "The summer is coming soon... What say you ditch your bumbling Potter and come away with me. I can make it worth your while."  
"Really?" she cooed, trailing her fingers lightly up his chest to cup his face, "Worth my while?"  
He inhaled sharply, either in shock from her touching him, or the fact that her fingers were cold, "I can give you things no one else can. Leave the _boy_ behind... I can give you a man, kitten."  
"Oh, Tom," she laughed, giving him a sharp kiss on the forehead, "A year ago... Hell, even a month ago, I would have jumped to do anything with you... No more."

His jaw went slack and she stood up, straightening out her skirt, then sauntering towards the curtain. Perhaps she would go back to the Gryffindor Common Room; it was said they had wild parties. She would like to experience one, for once.

"Elodie," Tom barked, causing her to jump and look back at him, "We never used an anti-conception spell, you know."  
She raised an eyebrow, "Yes, I recall that."  
"And you don't take the potion, do you?" he droned, a grin slowly returning to his lips. Elodie instantly went to her chain, twirling it around her finger, "Not many boys want to sleep with me, Tom... Why bother?"

"Any sort of morning sickness I should know about?" he inquired, "Getting larger and hiding it under those robes, kitten?"

"No," she snapped curtly, her eyes narrowing, "I'm not pregnant, Tom."  
He sighed and stared up to the ceiling, "Pity."

* * *

Well, I've come to the end of this series. I know it's already been published here, simply because someone took it upon themselves to copy and paste my work, so I'm sure lots of people have already read it. When I saw the last version, there were 30+ reviews, so I know people aren't as interested in it. Oh well. Thanks for those that reviewed, and to those that happily read it again. (: . I'll have the sequel up in a day or so!


End file.
